


Shantae: A New Genie

by Seantae2425



Category: Shantae (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25033480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seantae2425/pseuds/Seantae2425
Summary: A novelization of the Shantae video game series with my own touch. To those unfamiliar, you don't need to be familiar with the games to read this story.
Comments: 26
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Shantae’s eyes slowly fluttered open as her alarm clock rang. She placed her fingertips over her lips, letting a yawn pop out of her mouth. She leaped out of the hammock she called a bed and stretched her arms. She carefully placed her red blanket back onto the hammock and smiled. Through the cross that held up her window, she observed a peaceful area below her: Scuttle Town. She had known the town her entire life and yet it was still refreshing to peek out the window. The blistering heat would have been unbearable for anyone who did not live in the town.

The lighthouse she lived in was only connected to the town thanks to the wooden bridge linking the two together.  _ Maybe I can get a house closer by someday, _ Shantae thought to herself.  _ I enjoy the view, but maybe I can protect them better if I’m closer. _ She knew that she did not have the rank of town guardian yet, but she was certain she would get the job. Scuttle Town would get attacked on a regular basis, usually by pirates out to conqueror the land.

_ I wonder what it pays, _ she pondered as she tapped her fingers against the window sill.  _ Hopefully enough to buy those cinnamon rolls more often. _ She licked her lips; she could almost taste the soft, sweet dough of the cinnamon roll in her mouth. The store she went to had the best sweets she could ever buy. The only downside was that her allowance often left her in short supply of cinnamon rolls.

Shantae let out a sigh as she rested her arms on the window sill.  _ Maybe someday. _ From a great distance, she saw the mayor walking through the town while waving to the town’s citizens. He was a man of short stature and heavy mass. He wore a bright blue vest and a turban with a blue gem as a centerpiece as well as a red feather above the gem. Snow white hair peeked from below his turban. Finally, he wore baggy white pants and a red obi. His lack of a shirt underneath his vest did not make the town’s unbearable heat any better. He panted while he waved to local citizens with his left hand and ate a half-melted chocolate bar with his right.  _ Or maybe not, _ Shantae reconsidered.

She went over to her hammock to pick up her daily outfit. She changed into her new attire almost immediately: a pair of red sheer harem pants and matching bra, as well as gold jewelry. Her relatively thin figure fit snugly inside her clothes. She had blue eyes and long purple hair that reached past her waist. She tied it back in a ponytail with a golden cuff as she placed a golden tiara onto her forehead. The centerpiece of the tiara was a blue gem that belonged to her mother.

_ Making you proud everyday, _ Shantae thought with an awkward smile before it reverted into a grimace.  _ Wherever you are. _ She let out a sigh, rubbing her shoulders. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how little she knew about either of her parents. She could not remember either of them and she had no clue where either had ended up.

_ At least I still got Uncle Mimic around, _ she thought, bringing a smile back to her face.  _ Too bad he’s always busy in his workshop. _ Her uncle was a relic hunter, always on the search to uncover new artifacts or replicate old ones with his scientific experiments. Shantae continued to watch the town’s citizens move on with their daily lives.

_ Time to get the day started, _ she thought, stretching her arms.  _ Maybe Uncle Mimic won’t be busy for once. _ She walked to the center of the room; a rope that hung from the ceiling that reached down a hole. She slid down the rope, gliding down to the first floor. She walked past a brick oven on her left, recalling found memories of her uncle teaching her how to cook a pizza.  _ Too bad I burnt it, _ she grimaced. Her next encounter was a shelf case lined with dozens of books. Several of them were books Mimic had used for education, while many more were merely comic books.  _ I should probably finish reading those later, _ she thought regarding her comics.

Taking her first steps outside, she noticed her reflection in the ocean underneath the bridge. She bent down, letting her fingertips drift against the water.  _ The current’s moving a bit faster today, _ Shantae observed, pulling her hand up.  _ I hope that doesn’t bother the fishermen. _ Walking down the bridge, she heard creaks with every step. With her next step, her right foot could not find the ground. “EEP!” she shrieked, her leg falling through the bridge. She looked down, seeing that splintered pieces of wood floated in the ocean. She yanked her foot up, tearing a small portion of her pants off her ankle. She groaned, picking up the ripped cloth and placing it in her pocket. She continued walking into town, passing by several merchant shops.

A small girl ran up to her, pulling on her leg. “Hi, Shantae!” she greeted. The girl wore ratty pink clothes and kept her hair in pigtails.

“Hi there, Mia!” Shantae replied, bending down to speak to her. “How have things been?” Unlike Shantae, Mia was merely a toddler who wore ratty clothes and lacked any sense of cleanliness.

“They’re okay,” Mia replied. “Are you ever going to do that Genie magic my mom told me about?”

“What do you mean?” Shantae questioned.

“My mom reads me stories every night about the Genies!” Mia exclaimed. “They can do magic like grant wishes for people. Can you do that?”

Shantae chuckled nervously. “Sure...” she murmured. “Just... not right now.”

“Oh,” Mia pouted, her head drooping.

“Maybe another time, Mia,” Shantae suggested, feigning a smile.

“Why don’t you use your magic?” Mia asked. “The Genies in my book do it all the time. You’re a Genie too, right?”

“Yeah, I am,” Shantae said hesitantly.

“Then why not use it?” Mia asked. “You’d be way more awesome if you used your magic to help people.”

“I...” Shantae murmured. “I... can try using it later,” she murmured, looking away from Mia.

“Yay!” Mia exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

“Bye Mia,” Shantae said, walking away.  _ Next stop, Uncle Mimic’s. _ She bumped into a gluttonous figure, nearly falling over with him.

“Sorry, Mayor!” she quickly apologized, holding her hand out

“Don't scare me like that,” he complained, heaving while taking her hand. He sighed, noticing that his chocolate bar had gathered dirt across its surface. He tossed it towards the nearest trash can, only for it to miss and land on the ground inches before it. He shrugged and returned his attention to Shantae. “What do you want?”

“

Sorry!” she quickly apologized. “I'm just really excited today since you know, I want to become Scuttle Town’s guardian!”

“Uh, Shantae, I hate to tell you this, but you have to be eighteen to become the Town Guardian...”

“I know,” she replied. “I turned eighteen a few days ago.”

“Huh,” the mayor murmured. “I thought you were like sixteen or something. Well, then you’re hired.”

“Really?” Shantae asked, astonished. “Just like that?”

“Yeah, sure. You are a Genie, right?” the mayor asked, looking away while focusing on his chocolate bar.

“Yeah, but I thought there’d be a test,” Shantae murmured, making her newfound boss groan.

The mayor shook his head. “Nah. Being a Genie is good enough,” he replied. “And we haven’t had a guardian in years. Would make a nice change for once.”

“Mayor, I feel like you’re picking me because of what I am rather than  _ who _ I am,” Shantae pointed out.

The mayor facepalmed himself, letting his fingers stretch his cheeks out in exhaustion. “Do you want the job or not?”

“Yes, but...”

“Then just take it,” the mayor griped.

“Can’t I have a test or something first?” Shantae pleaded, clasping her hands together.

“You can’t make this easy, can you?” the mayor replied, taking another bite of his chocolate bar. “If you really want a job, just defeat whoever attacks our town next.”

“You got it!” Shantae exclaimed, her fist in the palm of her other hand.

“Thank you,” the mayor replied. “You could do something easy like stop a... thief or something.”

“Does that really count as an attack on our town?” Shantae questioned.

“Uh, it's an attack on our town’s laws,” the mayor replied. “And... dignity.”

“Okay...” Shantae murmured,

“Anything else you need?”

“Could you fix the bridge? It fell apart when I was walking across it.”

The mayor sighed. “Can’t you fix that with your magic?”

“Uh... my magic doesn’t work like that,” Shantae insisted. “My magic is more for... battles.”

“Then I guess we can send somebody out to fix it,” the mayor replied. “Let me know when you stop that thief or whatever. I’m going to bed.”

“It’s only two in the afternoon,” Shantae pointed out, blinking in disbelief.

The mayor dismissed her concerns, waving her off. “It’s nighttime somewhere, Shantae.”

“Wait, what does the job pay?” Shantae asked, noticing he was walking away.

“We’ll talk about that when you  _ get _ the job,” the mayor stated, leaving her to her thoughts.

Shantae sighed. “Bye, Mayor...” She slowly began walking, focusing on finding her uncle once more. She entered a street that had numerous merchant shops on her left and right. She passed by shops that sold potions, scimitars, and many other items. She noticed one wooden stand with a sign hanging above it that read, “Abu’s Swords.” She picked up a scimitar off its rack and began swishing it back and forth in the forth. “He he,” she snickered, mimicking the act of a pirate.

“Like what you see?” the man behind his wooden stand asked. Much like the mayor, he wore a turban and a blue vest, but was much skinnier and wore green pants.

Shantae giggled. “Yep!” she stated, continuing to swing the sword around.

“The normal selling price is three hundred gems,” Abu explained.

“Seems a bit pricey,” Shantae murmured, quickly putting the sword on the rack.

“But... there’s a sale going on for magic users,” the man stated. “Twenty-five gems if you can show me an impressive magic trick.”

“I can probably do that,” Shantae stated, feigning a grin. She held out her hands, covering one over the other.

“What are you doing?” Abu asked.

“Magic!” Shantae exclaimed. Moving her fingers around, she presented the illusion she had separated her index finger from her hand. “Look! I pulled my thumb off!”

Abu stared at her hand then glanced at her nervous expression. “Aren’t you supposed to be a Genie? I wasn’t expecting a third rate magician.”

Shantae groaned, pulling her hands back. “I save the real magic for battles,” she claimed.

“I’m not asking you to break the world in two,” Abu pointed out. “I just wanted to see something a  _ Genie _ can do. It’s not like we see too many of you around anymore.”

Shantae’s annoyed expression morphed into a scowl. “You don’t have to remind me,” she grumbled, stomping away.

“So, is that a no on the real magic?” Abu asked, but he received no response.

Shantae sat as she watched her reflection wash in the water’s current. She resided at the town’s docks, letting her hand drift into the water.  _ Mom. How did you do it? _ she wondered. Something in the corner of Shantae’s eye caught her attention. A black sphere was hurtling itself at an unbelievable speed in her direction. She ducked as the sphere crashed through the concrete, shards of pavement spraying across the floor. “What was that?” Shantae asked, seeing a small crater near her hammock. In the crater rested a smoldering cannonball. 

“Wait a minute...” she realized, recognizing the sphere. She let out a groan, facepalming herself. “Not again.” She had a feeling she knew who was behind the attack. “Stupid Tinkerbats,” she complained, wrapping her hands around the rope that led to the bottom floor. She rushed out to the front door, only to be stopped by a swarm of Tinkerbats.

The Tinkerbats were small, pitch-black, humanoid creatures, all of whom identical in appearance. Their hands had four clawed fingers and their feet had three clawed toes. They all wore the same outfit: a red bandana and matching pants. Spikes that formed part of their vertebrae protruded from their backs. Their gleaming yellow eyes looked up to her, ready to pounce. Shantae took a deep breath and pulled her head back. With a single whip, her ponytail magically smacked them away into the ocean.  _ Don’t they ever learn? _ Shantae wondered.

For several years now, she had a method of attack that only she knew. When her hair was tired in a ponytail, she could attack opponents like a whip. She had no idea what side of her parentage she inherited this skill from. She knew, from what her uncle had told her, that her father was human and her mother was a Genie. She had very little knowledge about the Genie race. All she knew was that they supposedly lived in another dimension and protected the realm she lived in from unknown invaders.  _ I wonder if she’s there too, _ Shantae thought as she looked to her left. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw a large, brown pirate ship sailing across the water and blasting cannonballs into Scuttle Town, causing fires to erupt and panic to spread.

Shantae sighed as she clenched her fists. The cannonballs began firing at her, making her jump as she ran across the bridge connected to the town. Some cannonballs were shot right in front of her, forcing her to stop before she got hit. She saw a purple-skinned figure standing at the end of the dock that made her come to a halt.

This woman, much older than Shantae was, wore a purple and red pirate hat that had a skull as a centerpiece. In her left hand was a scimitar and in her right was a pistol. Strands of purple hair peaked underneath her pirate hat as she wore purple and red wrist cuffs. She also had a purple necklace with a gold pendant around her neck, a matching bikini top that resembled like the upper half of a skull, and deep purple pants lined with a white rim that looked like a jaw bone, and finally purple boots. The woman cackled upon seeing Shantae. “ _ You’re _ the one giving my men so much trouble?” she asked, covering her giggling lips. “A  _ kid _ is giving my men  _ this _ much trouble?”

“Hey!” Shantae snapped. “I turned eighteen a few days ago!”

“And you think that makes you strong enough to beat me?” the woman asked with a smug grin.

“I beat your men pretty easily,” Shantae countered, staring at the pistol.  _ I can probably knock away her sword pretty easily, but I don’t know what that gun’s packing. _ A swarm of Tinkerbats appeared behind the pirate, surprising Shantae.  _ Where did they come from? _

The woman grinned as she pointed in Shantae’s direction. “Then maybe you can handle a few more,” she snarked. “Men, kill the runt.”

_ You mean my men, _ a voice spoke to her, making her growl. As the Tinkerbats launched themselves at Shantae, the woman kept hearing the voice mocking her.  _ Risky Boots, self-proclaimed Queen of the Seven Seas, still relying on my help to get along. _

“Shut up,” Risky growled, making Shantae pause, which allowed the Tinkerbats to dogpile the half-Genie. Shantae pushed back against the creatures, who made it more and more difficult to breathe. Shantae lifted her neck back and snapped it forward, whipping a large portion of her attackers off her.

“Are you talking to me?” Shantae asked, perplexed by the pirate’s outburst.

“No, stay out of this!” Risky barked.  _ You’re still here? _ she bitterly asked the voice.

The voice chuckled, making her blood boil.  _ You know you can’t get rid of me. _

Shantae kicked a few more Tinkerbats off her, sending them into the ocean next to them.  _ Hope they can swim, _ Shantae murmured inside her thoughts. She punched and hair-whipped the remaining Tinkerbats off her and stood back up. Much to her surprise, she saw Risky Boots smacking her fist against her forehead. “Are you okay?” Shantae asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” Risky insisted, ignoring the bruise on her forehead. “And I don’t believe we’re been properly introduced.”

“I’m Shantae,” the half-Genie stated, clenching her fists once more in anticipation. “I’m Scuttle Town’s Guardian Genie.” She had hoped the claim would send a shiver down the pirate’s spine, but all she got was a yawn.

“Guardian Genie?” Risky asked with a smile. “When I was around your age, Genies could have beaten my men in a fraction of the time you took. You won’t be any trouble for me.”

_ You couldn’t beat any of those Genies, much less this liar, _ the voice spoke to her. Risky’s eye began to twitch while she kept on a facade of confidence.

_ And you couldn’t beat me, old man, _ Risky argued back.

_ And yet, I’m still here, _ the voice replied.  _ She isn’t a full Genie, nor is she fully human. _

_ A half-Genie? _ Risky questioned.  _ Those exist? _

_ A good pirate is always able to smell a liar, _ the voice stated.

“You’re no Guardian Genie,” Risky said with a smirk, making Shantae jump.

“How did you-”

“A good pirate is always able to smell a liar,” Risky retorted.

_ Very easy to sound impressive when you’re given a script to follow, _ the voice snarked.

“Get out of my head!” Risky screamed as she grabbed onto her aching skull, startling Shantae.

“Do you need help?” Shantae asked, taking a nervous step closer.

“I don’t need anybody’s help!” Risky shouted.

_ Except mine, _ the voice stated.  _ You always have and you always will. _

“I think you do,” Shantae stated, trying to approach Risky.

“I don’t!” Risky shouted, slashing her scimitar at Shantae and shooting a blast of red hot energy bullets at the half-Genie. “I’m Risky Boots and I do  _ not _ need your help!” Shantae ducked and jumped back, barely dodging both attacks. She landed back on the bridge, which made Risky snicker. “Just as I planned.” She slashed at the rope keeping the bridge up, making the entire overpass collapse into the ocean. Shantae leaped over to the ground, but was only barely able to grab onto the ledge. Risky laughed as she grinded her boot against Shantae’s fingers, making the half-Genie squeal. “Word of advice, runt,” she offered, her voice laced with venom. “Stay out of my way.” She kicked Shantae’s fingers away, sending the latter plummeting into the ocean.

Shantae tried to swim up, but found that something was tugging her down. She saw numerous Tinkerbats had latched their claws onto her right leg. Her hair was nearly impossible to move in the water and the creatures kept dragging her down farther and farther. She clamped her mouth shut, hoping she could keep using whatever remaining oxygen she had left. She kicked at the creatures with her free leg, knocking a few away but the others remained locked onto her. She shook her leg, loosening their grip slightly. There were moments left before she had to breathe again, leaving her with few options. The creatures, on the other hand, appeared completely willing to drown for the sake of their boss. Shantae’s lips briefly opened, letting the water overfill her lungs. She kicked and screamed as she felt herself be dragged down. The oxygen in her body began in her lungs as she desperately tried to float up. She kicked relentlessly at the Tinkerbats once more, finally freeing herself. She swam to the top and panted as she spat out the water that had been drowning her lungs.

“Shantae!” a concerned voice shouted in front of her.

“Uncle Mimic?” Shantae asked, seeing an older man stand behind the ledge.

“What happened to you?” the older man asked, reaching out to help her out of the water.

“Ow,” Shantae murmured, rubbing her throbbing knuckles. She looked down at the water, finding that the Tinkerbats had disappeared, and then looked to see that Risky’s ship had vacated as well. “That stupid pirate got away.”

The older man sighed. “I figured as much.” Mimic, although mostly bald, still retained some traces of white hair on his head. A beard that reached down to his waist occupied most of his face. He wore a green trench coat, a black shirt, jeans, a black belt with a yellow buckle, and black-rimmed goggles with orange lenses over his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked his niece, wrapping his arms around her.

Shantae stared at the bruises on her knuckles. Risky’s boots had left an imprint in her hands and she was unwilling to let that go. At the same time, underlying questions swirled inside her head.  _ Who was she talking to? Is that person making her do this? _

“Shantae!” Mimic stated, shaking her slightly.

“I will be,” Shantae said sternly as she broke away from Mimic and clenched her fists. “Once I figure out what she’s after.”

“I’m afraid I have an idea,” Mimic said somberly. “She stole something from my lab.”

“Is it dangerous?” Shantae asked.

“By itself, no,” Mimic answered, although that brought no relief to Shantae.

“Does it go with something that will make it dangerous?” Shantae asked.

Mimic sighed. “If she finds what she’s looking for, the weapon she’ll create will be able to destroy an entire town.”

Shantae’s eyes widened as she began smacking herself on the head. “I’m so stupid!” she yelled at herself. “I let her get away.”

“Don’t beat yourself up yet,” Mimic advised, which made his niece stop her assault on her cranium. “There’s still a chance to stop her.”

“Really?” Shantae asked.

Mimic nodded as he bent down to place a comforting hand on Shantae’s shoulder. “Yes. But it’s going to be more dangerous than dealing with a few Tinkerbats. You’re going to want to listen to what I have to say.”

Shantae gave a quick nod. “You got it, Uncle!” she exclaimed.

“Just like your mother,” Mimic said with a smile, which made his niece grin. “Now then, let’s start from the beginning...”


	2. Chapter 2

Mimic took a deep breath as Shantae anticipated his words. “This pirate is after four items,” he stated, holding up the same number of fingers on his left hand. “They’re called the Elemental Stones.”

Shantae blinked in confusion. She had never heard of such items and yet from his tone, she could tell that her uncle was more than familiar with them. “What do they do?” she asked.

“Each one has a different purpose,” Mimic stated. “The Dribble Stone gives you control of the water around you.”

“Oh, like that cartoon I watched as a kid!” Shantae said with a smile.

“Something like that,” Mimic admitted, pleasantly recalling watching the show with his niece when she was small. “Next is the Sizzle Stone. That stone lets you produce fire.”

Shantae’s grin widened as she imagined what she could create with fire. _I could be my own microwave,_ she thought excitedly. “So that could give me fire powers?”

“Yes, but you can’t obtain the power,” Mimic stated, causing Shantae to pout. “I’ll explain in due time. Now, where was I?” he wondered aloud, scratching his beard. “Oh yes. Next is the Golem Stone. It allows you to manipulate the Earth itself, mainly summoning rocks and the sort.”

“The next one lets you control air, right?” Shantae asked with a smirk, still reminiscing about her favorite cartoon.

“No,” Mimic replied, making Shantae frown. “The Twinkle Stone lets you control ice.”

Shantae raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t controlling water do the same thing?”

Mimic chuckled. “You’d think so, but no. The Dribble Stone lets you control water, not its temperature.”

“So you can’t summon water from the air?”

“No, you’d need a source of water available.”

“Oh, come on,” Shantae complained.

“The Twinkle Stone lets you summon ice whenever you like, however,” Mimic continued. “But you can’t change it into water either, I’m afraid.”

“How do you know about all this stuff?” Shantae asked.

“That is a long story, but the short answer is: your mother,” Mimic replied, making Shantae’s pointy ears perk up.

“Did she make them?” Shantae asked curiously.

“Yes,” Mimic stated. “The stones also act as a seal for this world.”

Shantae’s head tilted in confusion. “What do you mean, Uncle?”

“You know how the worst you’ve ever dealt with were those pirates?” Mimic asked.

Shantae nodded. “Are the stones keeping something worse from escaping?” she guessed.

“Something _far_ worse,” Mimic confirmed with a grave look on his face. “That is why you _can’t_ let her win.”

“What do I have to do, Uncle?” Shantae asked, clenching her fists together.

“Each stone is guarded in a different town,” Mimic continued. “The stones by themselves are useless beyond acting as the seal. Breaking them into pieces won’t remove the seal,” he stated, making Shantae smile. “But, if all of their powers are drained, then the seal will be removed.

_And the monsters in other realms will be free,_ Shantae thought, remembering some of the tales her uncle had told her about over the past couple of years. As she was getting older, Mimic had decided to share bits and pieces about her Genie ancestry. While she did not have the full picture, she was getting a better idea about her history with each passing day.

“The pirate has the only tool that can drain the powers of the stones,” Mimic continued.

“What does the pirate lady have that drains the powers of the stones?” Shantae asked.

“A power absorber in the shape of a magic lamp,” Mimic explained. “It’s what she stole from my lab.”

“What, like a genie lamp?” Shantae guessed with a slight chuckle.

“The tool may look innocent, but its capabilities are not,” Mimic replied sternly, making Shantae cease her laughter. “If she gets close enough to you with that lamp, she can take your powers from you. You _cannot_ let that happen, understand?” he demanded, putting his hands on Shantae’s shoulders.

Shantae gulped at the thought of her magic being stolen. She was only barely familiar with her abilities as it was and she did not want them to be stolen before she could learn more about them. As far as she knew, the only magic she was capable of was her hair whip and that she was still attempting to master. “What happens if she gets my magic, Uncle?” she asked worriedly.

“Unless you can get it back, it’ll be lost forever.”

“Is there any way I can make myself immune to that lamp?” Shantae asked.

Mimic sighed as he took a step back. “I’m afraid not. At least not that I’m aware of.”

“Why did you even have that lamp? Why couldn’t you throw it away or destroy it?” Shantae asked with concern.

“It can’t be destroyed,” Mimic sighed. “It was created a long time ago with an unbreakable seal. There is no way to destroy the lamp. That is why you cannot lose. Your magic is invaluable. Every genie can learn some form of magic, either from age or learning from other Genies.”

“But all the Genies are back in their realm,” Shantae pointed out. “How am I supposed to learn what to do if they’re all gone?”

“That reminds me of something your mother once told me,” Mimic recalled with a small smile as he rubbed his beard. “‘You can’t get any better without doing it yourself.’”

“Did she have any teachers?” Shantae questioned.

“A few yes, but she preferred to come up with her own techniques,” Mimic stated. “The stones are made from her powers.”

Shantae’s eyes widened excitedly. “You mean I could get Mom’s powers?!” she exclaimed.

“Like I said before, no,” Mimic insisted. “They need to be there for the seal to remain intact. Risky needs to be stopped before she unleashes something worse than herself onto this world.”

Shantae blinked as she took in all this information and replayed her Uncle’s words in her head. “How do you know all of this?” she asked. “And how do you know her name?”

“Risky... is someone your mother once knew,” Mimic explained, making Shantae blink in surprise. 

_How does she know my Mom?_

“I’m afraid I can’t explain anymore than that right now,” Mimic stated. “We can’t afford to lose any more time than possible.”

“Do you know where the first stone is, Uncle?”

“Dribble Fountain, it’s near Water Town and to the east of here,” Mimic stated, making Shantae’s ears perk up once more.

“That’s where Bolo lives,” she commented, remembering that she would sometimes visit her childhood friend in his hometown. “Does he know about the stone?”

“Yes,” Mimic stated. “Bolo’s the best Water Town’s got and he knows how to get the stone.”

“That’s not really setting a high bar, Uncle,” Shantae said with a wince. She knew that although her friend was a year older than her and talented in terms of combat skills, he lacked expertise in every other category, especially social cues and intelligence. She knew that Bolo had a bad habit of falling in love with any beautiful woman that crossed his eye, albeit without any success with getting a date. She also knew that he had a tendency to not think things through.

“He’s the best fighter in that town,” Mimic pointed out. “He may not be the brightest, but he can still help.”

“Does anybody else know about how to get the stones?”

“Besides the Genies and Risky, only two others know about the stones,” Mimic explained. “Your old friend Sky is one of them.”

Shantae smiled as the thought of her other friend, Sky the bird trainer, popped into her brain. The bird lover was also a year older than her and Shantae knew that Sky was a good person to come to when looking for advice, except for when she was looking for a boyfriend. While she was more successful than Bolo by actually getting a date, the man would usually leave by a week or two. _Guess she and Bolo have something in common,_ Shantae observed.

Another thought entered her brain as well. This particular thought vexed her. “Hey Uncle... how come Bolo and Sky knew about the stones before I did? They’re not even part Genie like I am.”

Mimic paused for a moment as he let out a sigh. “Shantae, there are a lot of things I had hoped you’d never have to learn about.”

Shantae crossed her arms as she raised an eyebrow. “But why them, Uncle? We’re _family,_ ” she stated, taking a step closer as Mimic edged himself back.

“They’re older than you and more experienced. I thought they could handle the information better than you,” Mimic stated, remembering that he had told the information to the two a year ago. He remembered that he had made them promise to not tell Shantae that they knew unless he said they could. “If Risky knew that you had the locations of the stones, she would take the information and kill you. I... don’t want to lose you.”

“And you would let my friends take the fall instead?” Shantae asked angrily. “What if she just kills them if they don’t tell her the location?”

Mimic simply looked into her eyes, unable to produce a single answer. He tried to let out a sound, but stopped himself.

Shantae attempted to hide the bitterness in her voice, but it was still there. “I need to go,” she stated, clenching her fists. She noticed that the town’s fires had been put out, making her slightly relieved. _Guess the fire department showed up,_ she observed. She planted her feet against the ground and took off in a sprint.

“Shantae...” Mimic murmured, watching his niece run off. “...I’m sorry.”

As Shantae dashed, she ran through the town and was on her way. While she was running, something latched onto her. She looked down and saw a black tentacle tied around her ankle. _What the?_

Another tentacle appeared and wrapped itself around her other ankle, forcing herself back a couple of inches. Four more tentacles wrapped themselves around her stomach, wrists, and neck. She grabbed at the appendage tightening its grip around her neck. The air in her lungs was being cut off as she helplessly clawed at the tentacle. She looked around, hoping someone would see her in pain and attempt to help her. But instead, the entire world around her was enveloped in fires and darkness. The town she grew up was now covered in lifeless skeletons as fires consumed the buildings. She saw a larger skeleton leaning against a stone wall on her right, holding out its left hand as if it was trying to call out for help. _Uncle?!_ she wanted to scream, recognizing the frame of the skeleton.

_Listen to me,_ voice spoke into her ears, making Shantae’s body shiver as she continued to suffocate. The voice was not one she recognized and nor was it even human. The voice was raspy and sounded like it ached despite its frightening tone. The hoarseness in the voice did not deter its intimidation of the half-Genie, however. _You cannot run. You cannot hide from me._

The appendages began dragging her into the black pit of darkness below her feet. She tried to scream for help, but the tentacles had sucked all of the air out of her lungs. Her face had turned blue as her hands went limp, letting the darkness drag her even further down. The voice continued its speech. _Once I am free, I will find you and when I do, you will suffer the same fate as every other Genie who has faced me._ Shantae’s face barely hovered above the dark pit as the appendages were close to completely submerging her. _Your kind will be eradicated and there will one less group of control freaks desecrating a grateful universe._

Shantae opened her eyes and found that her surroundings were back to normal. The town was no longer on fire, nor was it ridden with skeletons. Shantae rubbed her neck, baffled by how her wounds had disappeared as well. She wrapped her arms around her shaking body, hoping she could contain her fear. The voice still echoed in her head and she kept glancing down at her shoes. She felt like something was still pulling her down, but there was nothing there. _What... was that?_

Risky Boots found herself standing in front of a building in Water Town. The town itself was guarded by marble columns that acted as a wall to outsiders. There were numerous fountains that had gallons of water gushing out by the minute. The town’s structure reminded her of something akin to a coliseum. Despite the town’s peaceful presence, the buildings were made with a glorious presence to them.

Risky shut her eyes and listened to the water flowing out of the fountains. She held her hand against her heart, letting the beat sync up with water’s flow. She could not explain it, but the sound of the water was relaxing. _It’s nice,_ she thought. _Too nice._ She let out a sigh, waiting for the voice to speak to her again. The voice had not talked to her in several hours. While she initially found its disappearance soothing, she felt like something was out of place for it to be gone for so long. No matter how long it was gone, however, she knew it would come back. It _always_ did. _You’ve been quiet lately,_ she finally said to the voice.

The voice chuckled, making her groan. She had hoped it would have finally left her by now. On the other hand, the voice’s presence brought her a small sense of comfort. _Where did you go?_ Risky demanded as she crossed her arms.

_Interesting that you suddenly care about me when I leave for a bit,_ the voice said humorously.

_Not the point,_ Risky said back to the voice. _Where were you?_

_Didn’t you once say you didn’t need_ anybody’s _help? If that’s true, why were you so concerned about me leaving? Are you afraid you can’t do this without me?_

_Just leave me alone, old man,_ Risky demanded as she gritted her teeth, attempting to let the sounds of the water calm her down.

_We both know I can’t do that,_ the voice replied, overtaking the peaceful sounds of the water. _Not when you still need me. And I still need you._

_I will_ never _need you._

_Keep telling yourself that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you get the reference to Shantae's favorite cartoon. :)


	3. Chapter 3

A young man of nineteen years old attended his daily training. He had navy blue hair, a yellow headband, and wore a determined expression on his face. A white bandage was wrapped around his right upper arm. He wore a white tank top underneath a short blue vest and had dark blue shorts. He also wore tan gloves with metal rings around the cuffs. The gazebo he stood in was covered with numerous obstacles in front of his path.

He had installed various booby traps to test himself. Every other day, he would test himself to maintain his stamina. He planted his feet into the ground before dashing towards the danger. He carefully sidestepped various traps he had set up, including wires that could potentially trip. He leaped over wooden fences implanted in the ground and rolled under a sign that hung in the air. As he ran, something caught his eye. An absolutely gorgeous woman many years older than him was standing in front of his door. She resembled a pirate and carried herself with a confident demeanor. Bolo’s heart excitedly bounced around inside his chest as he became oblivious to his surroundings. _She’s... beautiful…_ he thought as his jaw dropped in awe of her appearance. His face slammed into another sign he had put up, causing the sound to vibrate across the gazebo.

The woman blinked in surprise. _Are the people guarding these stones that dumb?_ she wondered.

_The young man appears to be in love,_ the voice observed with a snicker.

_What’s so funny?_ Risky demanded.

_Given your..._ The voice paused a moment to hold back a chuckle. _...wonderful personality, I doubted you could attract any man._

_Whatever,_ Risky scoffed as she watched Bolo slowly pick himself up. _He looks a bit older than that runt._

_I know this might be hard for you, but try being nice to him,_ the voice suggested with a cackle. _He might give us what we want if you do._

_I can be nice,_ Risky thought angrily. _Like you’re good at doing that._

_I’m nice to people who return the favor,_ the voice replied. _Respect is earned, and it takes a lot to earn mine._

_No kidding,_ Risky replied. “You okay?” Risky asked, attempting to sound sincere.

Bolo rubbed his aching cranium. His vision was still blurry, but he could still see the woman in front of him. Her face was the most alluring aspect about, her understanding expression commanding a form of respect in his mind. “So what’s your name?” he asked eagerly.

“Rachel,” Risky answered, thinking on the fly. “I... wanted to see you,” she said with a caring voice, despite her struggling to pull off this performance. She had hidden her identity several times before, but this time felt the most humiliating. “I... wanted to ask you out.”

Bolo’s eyes bounced open in shock. “You want to... go out with me?” he asked, his jaw dropping in surprise.

Risky nodded. “Is something wrong?” she asked, noticing Bolo’s sudden nervousness.

“I’m just... surprised,” he admitted as he took a step closer. Her aura made him feel warm inside. “Most women just ignore me or they slap me,” Bolo said with an awkward chuckle. “You’re the only one who wants to go out with me...”

“Yeah,” Risky murmured, feeling a ping of guilt cloud her brain. “Maybe you can get me something before that point,” she suggested.

Bolo nodded eagerly. “Whatever you want,” he stated.

“Have you ever heard of this artifact called the Dribble Stone?” she asked, making his body go cold.

_She... knows about that?_ Bolo asked worriedly. _Is she the one Mimic told me about? Risky Boots?_ He took a deep breath and weighed his options. _What if she’s just an artifact collector? Or what if she’s lying?_ Bolo closed his eyes as he turned around, confusing Risky. _If she’s lying, then I don’t have a date, either. But I can’t put everyone in danger..._ He turned around and looked back at her. She was still beautiful, yet the once bright aura she radiated had dissipated. Now he could see more clearly.

“You’re lying, aren’t you?” he asked weakly, trying not to look her in the eye.

Risky blinked in surprise. _He figured it out?_

_I’ll take care of it,_ the voice assured her.

Bolo briefly looked up and noticed something off about her chest. It appeared as though she was wearing parts of an actual skeleton for a bra. He hadn’t noticed it before, which he assumed was due to his infatuation. He took a step back in confusion. _Is that... real?_ he wondered.

_It is,_ the voice spoke to him.

_Who’s there?_ Bolo asked worriedly, looking around constantly to find where the voice was coming from. Risky watched, baffled by how Bolo seemed to be panicking over nothing.

_You and the rest of the traitors will find out soon enough,_ the voice replied.

_Traitor? I don’t even you._

_But I know what you’ve done,_ the voice retorted, sending a chill down his spine.

“Get out of my head!” Bolo snapped, grabbing onto his aching cranium.

Risky winced as she watched Bolo squirm.

The world around Bolo became dark and gruesome. Risky was no longer there. Instead, he was standing inside a cemetery. Unmarked gravestones surrounded him. _Where am I?_ he wondered as he walked around. He stopped walking when he saw the only gravestone marked with a name: his own. A rectangular hole was still there, meaning the casket had not been buried yet. _What’s... going on?_ he asked worriedly.

_Young man,_ the voice spoke to him as black appendages lunged from the hole and wrapped around his arms and legs.

“Let me go!” Bolo screamed as the tentacles began dragging him closer to the grave. He planted his feet into the ground, but that barely slowed the appendages down. _You will give me the stone. You will crawl back into whatever hole you came from._ The appendages tightened their grip on his arms and legs, cutting off their blood circulation. _If you don’t, I will break every bone in your body._

With a single snap, the bones inside his left arm fractured. He attempted to scream, only for another tentacle to wrap itself around his mouth, silencing his cries for help. With another snap, his right arm’s bones split in half as tears dripped from his eyes. The grave sucked him in, throwing him against the floor of the ground. _You will live just long enough to see the grave you will be buried in,_ the voice continued. _Nobody will remember you. Certainly not your friends, which I doubt you even have._ Bolo looked up to see a casket floating above him. Without any warning, the casket dropped onto him, crushing him instantly. _All because you made the mistake of siding with those control freaks._

Risky blinked as she watched Bolo crying, having curled into a ball. “I’ll tell you where it is!” he shouted, his body shaking nonstop. _I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be forgotten about._

_You will be,_ the voice told him, making him sob even more.

_What did you do to him?_ Risky asked the voice.

_What was necessary. The strongest in this world are prepared to do what the weak cannot._

“It’s in Dribble Fountain!” Bolo shouted. “You probably passed by it already!”

_And what about the key?_ the voice asked him.

“Here!” Bolo shouted, pulling out a tiny, spiked ball from his pocket. He held it up to Risky, who plucked it out of his hands.

_There was a key?_ Risky asked.

_Every dungeon with the stone has one,_ the voice explained. _How else do you open a locked door?_

_You knew? Why didn’t you say anything or use your magic?_

_My magic is unstable in this dimension without me truly being here,_ the voice stated. _There’s no telling what could happen if I tried to pull off such a feat. The magic from when I was once here is still active, however._

_Fantastic,_ Risky murmured sarcastically. _So why didn’t you mention the key?_

_I have all the time in the world,_ the voice replied nonchalantly. _And I like to enjoy the ride. I must say though, your acting needs work._

Risky grumbled as she stomped her way out of the gazebo, leaving Bolo to his demons.

“Bolo!” a voice shouted, snapping Bolo out of his trance. The world around him had returned to normal, his broken bones had healed, and the demonic Risky he saw when he handed over the key was no longer there. Instead, he saw a concerned Shantae looking down at him. “What happened?” she asked, helping Bolo up. “How long has it been?”

“I’ve been trying to wake you up for half an hour,” the worried voice stated.

Bolo’s body twitched as she struggled to look Shantae in the eyes. “Shantae? What are you doing here?” he asked weakly.

“Mimic told me what’s going on,” Shantae said quickly. “Did you tell Risky where the stone is?” Bolo hung his head in shame as he looked away. “Bolo, please tell me you didn’t give away the location!”

“I’m sorry...”

“Bolo, what did she say that made you give up the location?” Shantae demanded frantically.

“It wasn’t her. It was... something else,” he muttered, still hearing the echo of the bones shattering in his head. “He trapped me in a grave and said it was because I sided with control freaks...”

“That voice...” Shantae murmured, recognizing the words as a chill went up her spine. “I don't know what it is, but I think it might have a hold on Risky somehow. It was making her hit herself earlier,” she recounted, remembering that Risky had pounded her fist into her skull while screaming at an invisible voice.

“So she might actually love me?” Bolo blurted out, making Shantae pause in disbelief.

“...What?” Shantae asked, barely comprehending what she had just heard. _Did he get hit on the head or something?_ she wondered.

“She said she wanted to go out with me...”

“Bolo, seriously?” Shantae asked, flabbergasted by what she was hearing.

“She’s the only woman who wanted to go out with me,” Bolo murmured, turning around so that his back faced Shantae. “Maybe... just maybe... she really does. I think that skull she’s wearing is controlling her.”

“Bolo...” Shantae whispered, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think she was being forced to say anything. She was just lying to you.” Shantae herself doubted that Risky’s supposed love of Bolo was actually genuine. From what she could recall, the skull never forced her to speak, only that it infuriated the pirate into hitting herself.

Bolo sighed. “It’s fine. I guess I should be used to it at this point...”

“You’ll find somebody, I know it,” Shantae assured him as she patted him on the back, placing a small smile onto his lips. “Maybe just find somebody less... nutty.”

“Good advice,” Bolo conceded.

“Now, where’s the stone?” Shantae asked.

“Dribble Fountain. It’s between here and Scuttle Town,” he stated.

“You’re saying I passed it?” Shantae asked incredulously. She had run far and wide, passing through a field, a forest, and a lake. She considered herself fortunate she did not run into any potential enemies at the time, having dashed faster than she ever did before.

“Yeah, it’s right after Spider Forest,” Bolo explained.

Shantae closed her eyes, trying to imagine what he was talking about. She remembered she had seen large spiders hanging in the trees of the eponymous forest. She had moved quickly for any of them to have attacked her, however. She faintly remembered a stone column she had passed by along the way. The column had been spewing out water nonstop. She could only assume that that was what Bolo was talking about. “Did it look like a big water fountain?” Shantae quickly asked.

Bolo nodded. “Yep. You can’t miss it,” he stated, which got him a glare sent in his direction from the half-Genie. “Or maybe you can.”

Shantae looked around and noticed the various traps and obstacle courses put in place around her. She had been so busy she had not even noticed them. “Training, huh?” she observed.

“Gotta stay in shape somehow,” Bolo admitted as he scratched his head nervously.

“Take care, Bolo,” she said, waving to him as she turned around. “Ah!” she shrieked, tripping and slamming into the ground. “Ow,” she murmured, picking herself up. She looked behind her and noticed a small tripwire had been put in place, making her grumble. _Of course..._

“So this is it, huh?” Risky observed, watching the fountain’s endless supply of water flow downward. She pulled out the spike ball and aimed it at the hole ingrained in the stone column. With a single toss, the ball locked itself into the hole above the water.

_Now if only you could pay attention as well as aim,_ the voice snarked, making Risky groan. _This place truly feels like home to me,_ the voice continued. _Then again, I built this dungeon._

_Makes you wonder why they’d put the stone in here then,_ Risky replied.

_The power of suggestion is an incredible ability, is it not?_ the voice replied. _I can’t use it as well as I used to, but it still gets the job done._

_Yeah, bossing people around is your speciality,_ Risky snarked as she walked inside. From there, she saw walls made of black bricks surrounding her as well as wet floors with dripping ceilings. _You don’t take care of things, do you?_

_I take care of you,_ the voice retorted.

_Hardly._ Risky noticed a cage on her right, containing a sleeping woman in her early twenties. She blinked in disbelief. _You keep people down here?_

_My magic ensures she has the necessary nutrients._

_How long has she been here?_

_Not sure. If memory serves, she was a child when she was first locked in here,_ the voice assumed, making Risky blink in surprise. Relax. _The magic I created for her cage kept her asleep this entire time. I installed numerous measures to keep her safe. She is a half-Genie like that purple-haired nuisance._

_Two half-Genies in one day. And yet they can’t add up to a full one,_ Risky thought mockingly as she chuckled out loud.

_Your sense of wit is_ truly _staggering,_ the voice mocked her, making her fume. _As I was saying, their powers aren’t as strong as their parents, but it’s good enough. For me, anyway._

_Wanting to add this one’s powers to your collection?_ Risky assumed.

_When I am free, then yes. For now, her power grows. It’s the strongest magic I’ve seen since the original Genies were around._

_Won’t she have the vocabulary of a child when she wakes up?_ Risky asked.

_No, I’ve been educating her while she slumbers. Her dreams are still mine to command._

_What, did you teach her how to spell her name?_ Risky snarked.

_More than that. I taught her about the Genies’_ true _history. She will know what side to join when she awakes._

_I’m surprised you didn’t keep her awake during this,_ Risky thought, crossing her arms as she studied the sleeping body. The woman was at least a few years older than Shantae, but she could only wonder how much stronger that would make the woman when she woke up.

_What’s the point in torturing a child?_ the voice replied. _She hasn’t done anything wrong... yet. Not to mention, a Genie’s magic grows stronger when they sleep._

The redheaded woman in the cage wore a torn brown shirt and ripped shorts of the same color. The cage she sat in had bars made of electricity that kept her from reaching out. “Where am I?” she asked, rubbing her head. She looked down at her body, seeing how much it had matured in the time she was asleep. _How long has it been?_ she thought, horrified. She looked over to see Risky looking at her with confused eyes. “You,” she murmured, jumping to her feet. “What did you do to my parents?” she snapped, recognizing the woman. A sudden thought popped into her brain. “No, no, no,” she murmured, holding onto her aching cranium. It was as though a bomb of knowledge had exploded inside her brain and she couldn’t handle it all at once. She saw flashes of her mother, her father, as well as the true appearance of the voice. She saw corpses of Genies scattered across a realm of magic as fires set that dimension ablaze.

_Perhaps I gave her too much knowledge,_ the voice observed. _No matter. Where I have given, I can also take away._

The woman’s head stopped throbbing as the information drained from her brain. The monster was gone from her thoughts, but she could no longer see her parents, either. All that remained was a faint trace of their faces. _Where did they go? And what did the Genies do?_ she wondered, recalling vaguely that she had been told of the Genies’ greatest atrocities.

_There. She should have lost any unnecessary knowledge while keeping the essential information,_ the voice stated to Risky. _I’m a bit out of practice since I can only use that kind of magic on people from before, well, you know. It’s anybody's guess what she remembers beyond the basics. She doesn't remember you now, though._

The woman grabbed onto the bars, but her body was lit up with electricity. She shrieked as the electricity ruptured her body, forcing her to let go of the bars. Her messy red hair was now fritzy from the electricity, making her pat the hair down to normal, reaching down to her feet. “Tell me what you did to my parents, or I’ll-”

_It's so good to see you again,_ the voice stated to the woman, startling her. _My, how you've grown. I'm afraid that cage neutralizes your powers. I can fix that in a little bit._

“I don’t know who that voice is, but I know you’re behind this,” the woman stated, locking eyes with Risky.

_Hardly,_ the voice spoke to Risky while making sure the woman did not hear. The voice chuckled, echoing loudly across the dungeon, however, only Risky could hear the voice. The laughter only ceased when Risky had finally become unsettled by the sound of the voice. The voice returned to its conversation with the woman. _I love reunions, don’t you Harmony?_


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you okay?" Bolo asked as she helped Shantae up after she had tripped over the tripwire.

"I think so," Shantae murmured, rubbing her ankle that now had a red mark across it.

"Maybe I should go with you," Bolo advised.

"Are you just going to see Risky again?" Shantae asked, somewhat annoyed.

"What? No! I just want to make sure you've got backup in case you need it," Bolo insisted nervously. While he never wanted to admit it, he did want to see the pirate again. He was certain there was good in her and that she was being controlled.

"Do you have anything that could help me out?" Shantae asked, gesturing towards her ankle.

"I've got a potion," Bolo stated, holding up a small red flask.

"Where did you get that?" Shantae asked, surprised by how suddenly he had pulled out the flask. She had heard about the flasks that contained the potions. Supposedly, they contained a magical liquid that healed all wounds. She had never tried it before because she was certain that it was merely a knock-off that claimed to be magical.

"From the shop. There was a discount to get three of them," Bolo said casually. "You want it or not?" he asked, shaking the flask.

"You know that stuff doesn't work, right?" Shantae pointed out. "It's just one of those stores saying it's magic when it's probably just freshwater."

"I'm pretty sure it works," Bolo replied. "The guy said no refunds, so I figured that meant it probably works."

Shantae facepalmed herself. "That's _not_ how that works, Bolo," she sighed.

"So, should I drink it or...?" Bolo began before Shantae groaned and held out her hand.

"Give it to me," she replied. "It's not like it's going to hurt to try." Bolo nodded and handed over the flask. Shantae took the flask and downed it in a single gulp. "I don't feel any different," Shantae stated. "See, I told you-" She cut herself off as her ankle began to glow. A pink aura covered her wounds. The red mark in her ankle faded and the pain, as well as the glowing aura, dissipated in seconds.

"Hey, it works!" Bolo exclaimed.

"Huh," Shantae murmured. "Guess so."

"Let's go get that stone," Bolo stated, pounding his fists together.

"I guess I could use some back up," Shantae surmised. She figured that worst case scenario, Bolo could always distract Risky while she got the Elemental Stone. While Bolo was a skilled fighter, as well as the one who trained her how to fight, she was worried he would be immobilized by any attractive woman that came his way. "Just promise not to get distracted by any women."

"I promise to try," Bolo offered.

Shantae sighed. _What am I getting myself into?_

"Who is that?" Harmony asked, looking around the cage. The voice seemed oddly familiar, but she could not identify who the voice was.

Risky craned her neck, blinking in confusion while watching Harmony darting her eyes around. _Are you talking to her?_ she asked. She awaited a response, but she heard nothing. _Hello?_

 _I apologize for the inconvenience, Harmony,_ the bony voice said sorrowfully. _It's been a long time since I was locked away. I'd recommend refraining from speaking out loud. That woman over there might hear you._

 _You didn't answer my question,_ Harmony replied with suspicion. _Who are you?_

 _An old friend,_ the voice stated with a small sense of joy in his voice.

 _I don't remember you,_ Harmony thought as she crossed her arms.

"Hey! Are you talking to him?" Risky shouted, interrupting Harmony's thought process.

 _Don't tell her anything,_ the voice suggested to Harmony. _I will convince her to leave._ The voice went inside Risky's head, infecting her thoughts. _I need you to go. Now._

 _And why would I do that?_ Risky demanded with a huff.

 _Remember what happened to that blue-haired young man?_ the voice inquired. _Do you want to see what I showed him?_

 _Fine,_ Risky groaned as she walked out of the room. She exited the dungeon and rested her back against the wall on the right of the open door.

 _I took care of her,_ the voice told Harmony.

 _How did you do that?_ Harmony questioned in disbelief. _She just left so easily._

 _I have a natural talent in scaring the wicked,_ the voice replied.

 _Uh huh,_ Harmony replied, unconvinced. _You say you're an old friend and yet I don't remember you at all._

 _Well, I met you when you were a child,_ the voice explained.

 _Sure,_ Harmony replied, crossing her arms. _I need something more before I'm going to trust an invisible voice in my head._

 _You know, you're much less cheerful than your mother was,_ the voice observed. _She was always in a good mood when I saw her._

 _What do you know about my mother?_ Harmony demanded quickly, her heart racing. She had no clue where her family was, nor what happened to them. If this voice could answer her questions, there was a chance she would not be as alone as she was now.

 _She was a friend of mine and... one of the few people who showed me any kindness,_ the voice said with sorrow.

 _How did you meet my mother?_ Harmony asked, placing her fingertips against her chest to slow down her heartbeat. _I just want to know where she is._

 _I'm afraid she is no longer with us,_ the voice stated, sending a chill down Harmony's spine. Her eyes became moist as she rubbed them quickly to dry them. She was thankful nobody else could see her like this.

_And what about my father? Where is he?_

_He shares the same fate,_ the voice stated.

 _How do you know this?_ Harmony asked.

 _I'm the one who had to bury them,_ the voice said. _It... was not a good day._

 _How do I know you're not lying?_ Harmony demanded. _How do I know you're not manipulating me?_

 _I will never lie to you,_ the voice promised. _I cannot make you trust me. You have to come to that decision yourself. Regardless of whether or not you trust me, I believe you should know this: your mother's name was Serena and your father's was Aaron._

Harmony blinked in surprise as she took a deep breath. She wanted to make sure she asked the most important question on her mind. _What was my father like?_

 _Tough, but caring,_ the voice answered. _Not as caring as your mother, but if you had met him, you'd know that he cared._

 _Thank you,_ Harmony said as a small smile formed on her lips. Although she could never see it, the voice smiled back at her. _I've been meaning to ask, why do you sound like that? You sound like you're dying._

The voice chuckled slightly. _I've been dying my entire life,_ he replied. _It's a side effect of one of the curses my enemies inflicted upon me._

 _So you don't have a body or anything?_ Harmony guessed.

 _I used to, but it has long since been taken from me,_ the voice explained. _The body I had previously wasn't very pretty look to at, either._

 _Why did it get taken from you?_ Harmony asked.

 _That is a story for another time,_ the voice explained. _I only ask for one thing. Please help me get back to normal._

Harmony took a deep breath as she looked around the electrified cage. _Even if I wanted to help you, I can't do much with that cage around me._

_Perhaps I can assist you with that. Your mother passed down an incredible gift to you. It can only be done through a magical dance._

_A dance? Are you serious?_ Harmony asked, raising an eyebrow.

_As silly as it may sound, it is quite effective for what you wish to accomplish. For this, you must first begin dancing with a rhythm._

_Ok then,_ Harmony replied, a bit confused by the voice's advice. She moved her legs back and forth quickly, attempting to find a rhythm. She let the rest of her body follow the pattern established in her legs, moving the flow into her hips, shoulders, and elbows. _Is this right?_

 _You're getting there,_ the voice stated. _There is just one more step. You need to channel that power into a single burst of energy._

_And how do I do that?_

_That is for you to decide. I cannot help you any further. Your mother was able to figure it out on her one. I'm sure you can too._

Harmony nodded as she concentrated on visualizing her parents. She could see faint traces of them, but it was difficult to put the pieces together. For a brief instant, she was able to see both of them. She saw an older woman that resembled her, but had more tranquility in her life. She witnessed the power her mother possessed: the ability to shake the very Earth itself. She could also see her father, who had a muscular appearance and was a gladiator with a mighty hammer. She was not sure how accurate these images were, but she was certain it was them. She held her hands in the air as a steel mallet formed out of thin air. She was surprised by how light it seemed in her hands compared to its massive size. She slammed the hammer into the ground and it began to tremble. The floor she stood upon cracked and broke into pieces as the area around her shook like an earthquake.

Outside the dungeon, Risky could feel the building shaking as the sensation rode up against her back. _What is going on in there?_ she wondered.

Harmony crashed into the ground a few feet below her as the hammer dissipated into thin air.

Harmony rubbed her aching elbows as she picked herself up. Besides the injury she had received, she felt very lethargic. _Why am I so tired?_ Harmony asked as she yawned.

 _Magic can take a lot of you,_ the voice explained. _With more experience, that gift of yours will come at less of a cost._

 _I'm guessing you know about this stuff from my mom,_ Harmony surmised.

 _I've learned about magic from her and many others in my time,_ the voice replied. _You might want to be careful._

_Why?_

_You are going to have a visitor soon._

Risky closed her eyes as she tried to concentrate. _I'll finally be rid of him,_ she thought, imagining a clear head for once.

 _You'd like that, wouldn't you?_ the voice snarked at her. _Even if you and I separated, you'd be back and you know it._

 _Why can't you leave me alone?_ Risky demanded.

 _You're the one who took me with you_ , the voice replied with a chuckle. _You can let me go whenever you want. You just need to get those stones._

_When I do, you are never going to see me again._

_Acting like you're in control,_ the voice said with a laugh. _I like that. You've still got that fighting spirit from the day we first met, Risky._

Risky sighed. _Don't you have something else to do?_

 _I do,_ the voice admitted. _The purple-haired half-Genie and her blue-haired friend will be arriving soon. Let them pass._

 _What? Why?_ Risky asked, incredulous that the voice would even suggest such an idea.

 _All will be revealed in time,_ the voice assured her.

 _Fine,_ Risky groaned as she heard two voices coming from a distance.

"Are you sure this is it, Bolo?" Shantae asked.

"Pretty sure it is," Bolo stated.

"You didn't mix up the directions again, right?" Shantae asked, thinking about one time Bolo had mixed up East with West when reading a map during a camping trip.

"I only did that once!" Bolo insisted.

Risky rubbed her head as she raced to the side of the dungeon and hid behind one of the trees surrounding the exterior. _How does anybody listen to that?_ she wondered, her head aching from their conversation. _This plan of yours better work, old man._

Harmony walked throughout the dungeon. It was the only home she could truly recall and the setting baffled her. The bright blue floor was damp and slippery, making her cautious as she walked throughout different rooms. She looked upward to see a door close to the ceiling, located on another floor. She could not see any stairs and she noticed that there were bony skeletons that popped in and out of holes within the walls. She noticed the skeletons had appeared in practically every room she had passed in apart from the room she had previously been in.

 _What are those things?_ she asked, disgusted by how little life was actually present in the chamber.

 _Bone Worms,_ the voice stated. _They are meant to deter intruders. It's best not to touch them, unless you're fine with becoming left-handed._

 _How do you know what they are?_ Harmony questioned.

 _They are creatures I gave life to a long time ago,_ the voice explained. _I wanted to make sure nobody could just trespass so easily._

 _What is somebody going to do in a dungeon?_ Harmony asked. _This place isn't exactly hospitable._

 _Steal a valuable object and sell it for pointless currency,_ the voice explained. _There is a stone in here that belongs to me. It is the key to freeing me from this prison._

 _Where is it?_ Harmony asked. _Maybe I can get it for you._

 _You are too kind,_ the voice stated. _However, I expect somebody to retrieve the stone for me. A purple-haired girl who is a bit younger than you. She intends to take the stone, which will be given to me later on._

 _So, should I tell her about what's going on with you?_ Harmony offered.

 _No need,_ the voice assured her. _All I ask is that you teach her that dancing trick. It is essential for all genies, be it half or full._

 _She's a Genie?_ Harmony blinked in surprise. _Does she know anything about my parents?_

 _I'm afraid not,_ the voice stated, prompting a sigh from the redhead. _Don't be disappointed, Harmony. You will learn everything you desire to know soon enough._

Harmony nodded. _I just have one more question. What do I call you?_

 _What an interesting question,_ the voice said with a hearty laugh. _I have not gone by my real name in a long time,_ the voice said with a hint of sorrow in coating his words. _I have only told my name to people I trust. And Harmony, I believe you are one of them._

 _I am?_ Harmony asked, surprised by the voice's certainty.

_Yes. You may call me... Jack._

_Ok, Jack,_ Harmony murmured.

 _It is not a name anyone has said since before I was imprisoned,_ Jack stated. _The girl and a friend of hers is approaching. Remember what I've told you,_ he advised as his voice echoed in her head before dissipating.

Shantae and Bolo walked into the dungeon as Harmony slowly walked into the same room as them. Bolo's jaw dropped as he locked eyes with Harmony. The woman appeared to be a bit older than him and was absolutely gorgeous. He could not take his eyes off her. Every part of her look radiated some form of beauty as he became frozen like a statue.

Shantae noticed this and facepalmed herself. _Dang it, Bolo,_ she groaned before looking back at Harmony. _Why is there another person here? Is she with Risky?_ She assumed a confident body position and put on a facade of toughness. "Are you with Risky?" she asked, making Harmony tilt her head.

"Who?" she asked.

"The pirate lady," Shantae stated. "She's trying to get the Elemental Stone in this dungeon and use it to destroy anything in her way."

"I'm not with her," Harmony assured her. "Who are you?" She looked down and noticed Shantae's outfit. "And what's with your outfit?"

Shantae's eyes snapped open. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she shouted, almost startling Harmony. Nobody had ever asked her such a question before.

"It's just... a bit much," Harmony noticed, observing its revealing nature.

 _You try living in a town that's ninety degrees everyday without wearing something like this!_ Shantae wanted to yell, but she bit her tongue. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Sorry I got a little angry there," she quickly apologized.

"It's fine," Harmony stated calmly.

"My name's Shantae," the purple-haired half-Genie stated, pointing her left index finger towards herself. "What's your name?"

"Harmony."

"That's a beautiful name," Bolo interjected, never taking his eyes off Harmony.

Harmony chuckled. "Thank you," she stated, which made Bolo even more infatuated with her. "Before you go in there, perhaps this might help you," she suggested. "Are you familiar with magic?"

Shantae rotated her left hand in the air with a sense of uncertainty. "A little."

"The best way to channel the magic in you is through dancing."

Shantae's eyes widened excitedly. "Really? I love dancing!" she exclaimed, surprising Harmony. "So I just do it and unlock a new power?"

"Something like that," Harmony stated, placing her hands on her hips. "When you do manage to capture a rhythm, find a way to let the energy burst out of you. It will be like a sudden rush to you when it activates."

"Got it," Shantae stated. "Thanks, Harmony." A sudden thought popped into her brain. "Wait, how do you know about magic?"

"My father was human and my mother was a Genie," Harmony stated.

Shantae quickly wrapped her arms around Harmony, astonishing the redhead. "I didn't know there were more like me!" she exclaimed. "I thought I was the only one!"

The hug Shantae was giving Harmony had a certain warmth to it that the latter had not felt since she was a child. Harmony slowly placed her arms around Shantae and hugged her back. When the hug finally ceased, Harmony felt a ping of sadness consume her heart. She did not want the hug to end.

"I'll see you later," Shantae promised the redhead. As she was walking into the next room, she could hear Harmony chuckling. Shantae spun around and saw Harmony smiling as Bolo stood there, infatuated by her presence.

"Your friend is quite passionate, isn't he?" Harmony observed.

"Come on, Bolo!" Shantae shouted, wrapping her fingers around her lovestruck friend's arm and began dragging him into the next room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite a bit longer to make up for how long the wait has been. Also, I didn't want to make this two chapters.

Harmony's stomach growled as she wandered throughout the forest. She was currently traversing through Tangled Forest. The area she walked in was covered in vines, making it difficult not to become entangled in certain plant life. The plant life was mostly peaceful, which she was thankful for. _Are we close to a place to eat?_ she asked the voice, holding onto her stomach.

 _Very,_ Jack replied.

 _How am I going to pay for this? I don't really have any money,_ Harmony pointed out.

 _We'll cross that bridge when we get to it,_ Jack explained to her. _In the meantime, you might want to keep your eyes open._

Harmony's pointed ears perked up as she heard a hissing sound. She looked upward at the tree branches to the left and right of her. Giant spiders zipped down from the tree branches on a web line and spat fireballs at her. Her eyes snapped open as she began dashing ahead of the fireballs numerous times to avoid getting set ablaze. At the same time, patches of grass lit up behind her. _That's not good,_ she realized worriedly as she stopped in her tracks.

 _Allow me,_ Jack stated. Within an instant, the fires extinguished themselves, leaving behind small burnt patches of grass instead. The spiders, in a moment of fright, zipped back up into the trees, shaking from the aura that infiltrated the area.

 _What did you do?_ Harmony asked.

 _Although I am much weaker than I was before, I can still use my abilities in smaller cases of danger,_ he explained.

 _How did you scare off the spiders?_ Harmony questioned, looking up to the trees. _They just left so... quickly._

 _I have a way of making people listen to me,_ Jack explained. _The local food shop is nearby in case you're still hungry._

Harmony looked behind her, seeing a small house made out of grey bricks. Purple shingles decorated the top of the house while a wooden sign was hung up on the side of the building. A chimney connected to the house shot out smoke every ten seconds, covering the sky in a foggy mess. "Emma's Cooking," Harmony read out loud. She gently knocked his fist against the wooden door, only for it to suddenly fall over. "What the...?" Harmony wondered, blinking in disbelief.

"Ooh! A customer!" an eager voice shouted. A girl, seventeen years of age, raced up to Harmony, startling the redhead. This girl wore a bright pink apron with a blue pouch on the bottom portion of the clothing, red-and-white striped socks, magenta boots, bright pink gloves, and a white toque that made her appear taller than she was. With the toque on, she appeared to be around Harmony's height. Finally, the girl had long blonde hair with a large strand on each side of her head and that reached past her waist. She had stars in her eyes as Harmony slowly backed away. "I can't believe it! I haven't had a customer in..." She quickly paused as she tapped her index finger against her chin. "...since I opened this place up... I think."

"Wait... what?" Harmony asked, both confused and slightly disturbed by the energy the chef girl could output in such a short amount of time.

"Oh yeah. I opened this shop of mine up a few months ago. So far, I've had only one customer."

"And who was that?" Harmony questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You, of course!" Emma exclaimed.

"Oh..." Harmony murmured in surprise. "Well, I don't have any..." She felt something land in her right hand. She looked down and saw several small gems in her hand.

 _You're welcome,_ Jack told her.

"Patience?" Emma guessed with a smile, snatching the gems from Harmony. "Me neither!"

 _What is this girl's deal?_ Harmony wondered.

Emma clasped her hands together. "So... what would you like?"

"Uh... what do you have?" Harmony asked.

"Well, I've got some doughnuts I made," Emma replied, picking up a tray that was previously sitting on a table. The tray had three donuts in view. One was glazed, the second one had sprinkles, and the third one had pink frosting. "You can have them all if you like!"

Harmony picked up the glazed donut first and took a bite out of it. Every nerve in her body came alive as the food illuminated her taste buds. She began grazing through the rest of the donut before snatching the other two.

Emma blinked in disbelief. No one had _ever_ liked her food so much before. Harmony had finished the other two donuts as quickly as she had the first, leaving small specks of sprinkles and frosting to hover around her lips.

"Do you have anymore?" she asked.

"Uh... not offhand," Emma said nervously. "I can probably make some more if you'd like..."

Harmony smiled. "I'd like that," she spoke confidently, placing her hands on her hips. _I feel so alive!_ she wanted to exclaim. _What's in this stuff?_

 _Sugar,_ Jack told her.

 _Oh, right,_ Harmony replied inside her head. _What's that do again?_

 _For non-Genies, it's like a boost to their system, albeit an unhealthy one. It doesn't last very long before they eventually crash,_ Jack explained. _For those who are a Genie, they provide much more than a boost. It helps fuel their magic to a great degree._

Harmony looked at her hands, which were shaking like a tremor. _I feel like I could use my magic forever._

 _A full Genie could live off sugar forever if they wanted to,_ Jack stated. _It's a very natural part of their diet._

 _But I'm not a full Genie,_ Harmony realized. _So, will all that sugar make me crash too?_

 _If you have too much, your human half might cause a crash after a while,_ Jack explained.

Harmony nodded. _Got it. Don't overload._ The sound of barking and a bell ringing came at Harmony in mere seconds. A small brown dog ran up to her knees. The dog had white paws and mouth as well as having the tip of its tail also be white. He wore a blue collar with a small golden bell attached to it. The dog began jumping up and down, trying to lick Harmony's face.

"Aw..." Harmony murmured, bending down to scratch behind his ears. The dog's tail wagged back and forth like a whirlwind as he kept jumping up and down.

"I guess Wobble Bell likes you," Emma stated, returning with two more donuts. Harmony grabbed the food and immediately chowed down.

"He's sweet," Harmony replied, petting his head. She looked around and saw a food bag knocked over with a hole ripped in it and a pail of water next to it. "Is that where he sleeps?" she asked, noticing the lack of a bed or a kennel. The pail had barely any water left and the food bag was nearly empty.

"Yeah..." Emma murmured, looking over to the living space. "I was hoping to use the money to get him some more food... and maybe a bed."

"Where do you sleep?" Harmony asked.

"On the ground," Emma said with a shrug, returning to her normally cheerful demeanor. "I'm sure all the greatest chefs in the world started off small."

"Greatest chefs?" Harmony asked.

Emma nodded. "Yep. I'm going to be one of the most famous chefs in the world someday."

"What about your dog?" Harmony asked, slightly worried about the dog's living situation.

"He'll be there right with me!" Emma exclaimed. "Once I'm financially stable, I'll be able to relax with him for a change."

"What does he do while you're cooking?"

"He just sleeps or goes for a walk," Emma stated. "He's pretty smart, so he stays out of trouble. I even made a little doggy door for him," she said, pointing at the door that had collapsed. A small wooden plank rested at the bottom of the door, allowing for an easy exit for the dog. "Oh, right..." she realized, noticing that the door had fallen off its hinges. "That's going to take a while to fix."

"I can get it," Harmony offered, walking over to the door. She pulled it up and pushed it forward. She managed to fit it back in place. Suddenly, the door magically connected back to the hinges it had broken away from.

 _You're welcome,_ Jack stated.

Harmony grinned as she turned around.

"How'd you do that?" Emma asked, baffled by the red magical aura surrounding the door. The aura soon dissipated as the door locked in place.

"It's hard to explain," Harmony stated awkwardly.

 _It's time to go,_ Jack advised her. _I need to tell you something in private._

 _Such as?_ Harmony asked.

_You wanted to know about your mother, yes? I can tell you more about her if you wish._

Harmony nodded. _Yes._

_Then, it is time to go._

_Ok._ Harmony looked back at Emma, who was now sitting and petting Wobble Bell's head. She noticed Emma had moved her face away from Harmony's view. She inched closer and noticed that although Emma was smiling, the expression itself seemed insincere. "I need to get going," Harmony told her.

"Oh," Emma murmured, picking herself up. "I get it. You're probably busy."

"Goodbye," Harmony said with a small frown as turned around.

"Wait," Emma said, making Harmony stop. "Could you come back sometime? You've been the best customer I've had yet."

Harmony grinned. "Sure," she stated. "Next week. I promise."

Emma smiled once more, although this expression had more candor than the previous one. "Thank you."

Shantae continued to drag Bolo by the arm as they made their way into the dungeon's first room. "Bolo, move!" she demanded, which finally convinced Bolo to snap out of his trance.

"Sorry," he apologized, rubbing his shoulder nervously.

Shantae sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "It's fine, but we need to get ready." She looked up, seeing the ceiling that hung yards above their heads. She noticed that there was an opening high above them in the wall. "Maybe that's where the stone is," she assumed.

"But how do we get up there?" Bolo asked, looking up. Something leaped in front of his face, making him fall onto his back.

"Bolo!" Shantae shouted, rushing to help her friend up. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just startled," Bolo murmured. "What is that thing?"

"Looks like a worm made of... bones?" Shantae asked, baffled by what she was seeing. A creature that was nothing but a bony skeleton popped in and out of a hole it resided within. Its face had empty eye sockets and razor-sharp teeth that it snapped together whenever it popped out of its hole. "What are these things?"

"Maybe they're guard dogs," Bolo suggested.

"Dogs are cute. These aren't," Shantae said with a shudder. She looked around, noticing how compact the walls of the current room were, with the skeletons appearing through both walls. "Maybe my magic can help out."

Bolo blinked in confusion. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You've never used it before."

Shantae shrugged. "It might not be, but it can't hurt to try." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting her heart become still. She slowly opened her eyes and let her body start shaking, putting her energy into her legs, moving back and forth quickly. She moved that energy up to her hips, creating a new synergy. She began dancing on one foot and then the other before alternating between the two. _Hope this works,_ she thought. She put her right arm into the air, putting all of her energy into her wrist. A purple light wrapped itself around her body, enveloping the room with its aura.

When the light dissipated, Shantae's body had shrunk, having become a fraction of her former self. Her ponytail had broken down and reformed itself into a normal tail attached to her backside. Her arms turned purple as fur covered all of her body except for her face, stomach, hands, feet, and tail. The rest of her body turned a pale pink as her eyes changed to a larger, rounder shape. Her tiara had shrunk down with her, fitting perfectly on her forehead.

 _What the?_ Shantae wondered, looking at her hands, which had become so tiny. She tilted her head, seeing her tail wagging in the air. _Is that my ponytail? Wait... I'm a monkey?_ she realized. _That can climb... I think._

"Shantae, where'd you go?" Bolo asked, looking around.

 _Bolo, I'm right here,_ Shantae tried to say, but instead chatter popped out of her mouth.

Bolo looked down and shouted as he fell over again. He quickly got up and grabbed the monkey. "Where's Shantae?" he demanded, shaking her. "What did you do with her?" _I knew she shouldn't have used that magic this soon! Now she's been replaced with a monkey and I don't know where she went._

 _Bolo! It's me!_ Shantae screeched in her monkey form. _Stop shaking me! I'm going to be sick!_

"Wait..." Bolo murmured, briefly pausing. "Maybe I should shake you upside down. Then you'll talk," he said with a cheerful grin.

 _Bolo, no!_ Shantae screamed, shaking her head. She pointed upward to her tiara repeatedly, making Bolo come to a halt.

"Shantae?" he realized, staring at the blue gem in the tiara. "That's your mom's sapphire.." he recognized, remembering that Shantae had been wearing the gemstone since the day they met. "Is it really you?"

Shantae nodded as her heart raced. _Yes!_ she chattered. _Please let me go!_

"Sorry," Bolo murmured, placing Shantae on the ground. "I got scared and..."

 _It's fine. We just need to get moving,_ Shantae said to him.

"I... can't understand you," he stated.

 _Oh..._ Shantae thought. _That's going to take some getting used to._ She let out a deep breath and looked upward, locking her eyes with the opening in the wall in front of her. She leaped onto the wall, above the worm's head. She latched her fingers onto the wall, securing herself against the wall. _Everything is so big,_ she thought, looking around her. She began dashing up the wall, moving left and right while dodging the worms popping out of the wall. She noticed she was coming up to the entrance and leaped into the opening. She scratched an itch behind her ears and let out a yawn. She began to study her newfound body. It was much faster than her human form, but she did not see that much use for it in terms of fighting.

She closed her eyes, allowing the space around her to become devoid of sound. Her fingernails grew in length, transforming instantly into claws. _Woah,_ she thought, seeing the razor sharp texture of the claws. While not much longer than her monkey form's typical fingernails, they would certainly help out in combat. _This is cool, but my hair whip would probably reach farther,_ she assumed. _I wonder if I can do anything else._ She closed her eyes once more, clearing her thoughts as her world became consumed by clouds of magical dust. She opened them again and... nothing happened. _Huh,_ she thought, slightly disappointed. _Maybe if I..._ She crossed her fingers together, but the same result occurred. She began doing a handstand, balancing on her two hands. She then balanced herself on her tail alone. _Guess this tail is stronger than it looks,_ she observed. _Not that useful, though. Eh, I'll figure it out later._ A new thought popped into her tiny brain. _Is the only transformation I can turn into? Wait... how do I turn back? Is there a time limit or something?_

A purple light engulfed her body as the purple fur shedded from her body and faded into nothingness. Her tiara and gemstone returned to its normal size as her red harem pants, matching bra, and golden jewelry covered her body. She let out a deep breath as she patted her head, making sure that her ponytail was still in place. She checked the rest of her body and sighed a breath of relief. _Really glad my clothes came back,_ she thought. She placed her fingertips against the jewel in her tiara and smiled. _I feel like I'm forgetting something..._ she realized.

Bolo landed on the ground as he gasped for air. His heart was racing as he slowly picked himself up. He rubbed his hip as he groaned. "Those things hurt," he murmured, holding a mace that he typically carried as his weapon. He had used the weapon's other function as a grappling hook to pull himself upward. Unfortunately for him, Shantae noticed his wounds he had acquired along the way. A patch of blood stained the right side of his shirt, of which there was a tear in the fabric.

"Bolo, are you okay?" Shantae asked, grimacing as she noticed his wound. "I'm sorry. I should have helped you up and..."

Bolo merely shrugged as he began walking forward. "It's fine," he insisted, putting his mace into his pocket. He considered himself fortunate that the weapon could shrink down the spike ball on top and place it inside the handle.

"Maybe you should use a potion," she suggested.

Bolo shook his head. "Nah. I'll be alright," he stated before Shantae walked in front of him.

"Bolo, you're bleeding," she said sternly, crossing her arms. "Please, just take the potion."

"But there'll only be one left if I do," Bolo said hesitantly. "That'll limit us until we get to the next town."

Shantae sighed as she rubbed her temples. "Bolo, please," she insisted.

Her blue-haired friend sighed as he pulled out a small red flask from his pocket. He downed the flask's contents in a matter of seconds and wiped his dripping lip. The wound that had been bleeding suddenly glowed before the tears in his skin patched itself up. "Good as new," he said with a smile. "I wonder if these things can grow back limbs..." he said, eyeing the flask.

Shantae winced. "Let's not test the theory," she suggested.

Bolo laughed nervously. "Right," he murmured. "I wonder if they got a non-healing version of this stuff. It tastes pretty good."

Shantae blinked. "Huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, it tastes like honey," he pointed out.

"It tastes like milk to me," Shantae replied, baffled by what Bolo could come up with.

"Maybe we should give Harmony some and see what she thinks," Bolo said, somewhat excited by the idea. "You know, like a tiebreaker."

Shantae sighed as she grinned. "Bolo, you just met her," she replied. "What, are you going to take her out for magic drinks?"

Bolo chuckled. "If I was two years older, then maybe," he murmured.

"Well, she's less crazy than Risky," Shantae admitted.

"Yeah," Bolo agreed before sighing. "I hope she's okay."

Shantae raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

Bolo paused to consider her question. "Both, I guess," he admitted. "Harmony's sweet and all, but Risky seems like she needs help."

"No kidding," Shantae agreed. "I just hope we can talk her down or something. She doesn't seem... evil, you know? Maybe just a little angry... okay, very angry, and confused."

"And pretty," Bolo muttered, making Shantae give him a look. "Sorry, she is," he apologized.

"You say that about every woman," Shantae pointed out.

"Yeah. It's just... she was nice to me," Bolo murmured. "That's just so... weird to me," he admitted.

Shantae placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It shouldn't be," she assured him with a smile.

Bolo nodded. "I know, but it still is. And then, there's Harmony. She's sweet, but I don't want to do anything that'll make her hate me."

"I get that," Shantae agreed. "Just make sure to take it one step at a time," she replied. "And maybe try being friends with her first."

Bolo smiled. "You got it."

"Let's get back to the mission," Shantae suggested.

Bolo nodded as the duo began walking forward. The room they currently resided was unmarked, lacking the Bone Worms from the previous rooms. Instead, it was merely chipped with grey paint. Very little life filled the room as the only sounds that could be heard were drips of water leaking from the walls. When they entered the doorless chamber at the end of the hallway, they saw a sky blue rectangular stone floating in the air. It floated above a small stone column in the front of the room.

 _Go forth, Tendrix,_ a voice said to the room, sending a chill down Shantae and Bolo's spines. _Use my power to slay these demons._

A creature floated out of the darkness. Its body consisted of a blue, oblong metal that acted as its base. Four green tentacles hung below the hatch of its body as green spikes acted as ears for itself. Its single white eyeball began bulging outward. Veins began popping out as the eye grew in size and turned green. Despite not having a mouth, it managed to let out an ear-piercing screech that shook the building.

"What is that thing?!" Shantae shouted, covering her ears.

"What? I can't hear you!" Bolo shouted, also covering his ears.

Shantae groaned. "I said..."

Tendrix slammed itself into Bolo, sending him flying into the wall. Bricks fell onto Bolo's body as he struggled to move. "Ow..."

"Bolo!" Shantae shouted, rushing after the creature. Tendrix wrapped one of its appendages around Bolo's neck and pulled him upward.

Bolo gasped for air as his windpipe became constricted. His face began turning blue as his vision was becoming murky. He pulled out his mace and activated the spike ball on top. He slammed the mace into Tendrix's eye, making it shriek as it released Bolo.

"Bolo, the weak point is the eye," Shantae stated, helping her friend upward. Her friend, although he could now stand, he had trouble keeping balance.

Shantae began to charge at the creature, leaping into the air as she pulled her neck back. Tendrix used two of its tentacles to block Shantae's hair whip. One of its other tentacles wrapped itself around Shantae's ankles, trapping her in place. Using its forth tentacle, it began slapping her back and forth repeatedly. Shantae stood there dazed as it wrapped its three remaining tentacles around her neck. The tendrils constricted her throat tightly, making her gasp for air. She could feel her lungs getting crushed more and more by the second.

Bolo's mace slammed into Tendrix's eye once more, making it bleed as it released Shantae from its grip. It flew upward as it kept bleeding, preventing either of the two from reaching it.

"Here, drink this," he advised, pulling out the potion.

Shantae nodded weakly as she consumed the flask's contents. Her neck ached as the liquid ran down her throat. Upon taking a quick moment to let the potion sit, the marks around her neck had faded and she could breathe easily again. "That's the last one," she murmured, looking at the empty flask.

"Uh… what's it doing?" Bolo asked, watching Tendrix smack the bad of its head between the walls in the room. Cracks began forming as the creature kept attacking the concrete. Water burst out of the cracks, filling the room's floor.

"It's trying to drown us," Shantae realized. "I've got an idea. I need you to aim your grappling hook at that thing's eye."

"Won't it just block it?" Bolo asked.

"Not if my plan works," Shantae replied as she began dancing. "Give me some cover."

Bolo nodded as he looked up the creature, which was now flying down with the intention of slamming into him again. He managed to move away from Shantae, guiding the creature's wrath away from the half-Genie. He leaped out of the way as Tendrix slammed itself into another wall, adding more water to the floor.

Shantae closed her eyes as she ignored the water coming up to her ankles. She kept moving as her heart raced, hoping she could transform in time. She provided one final thrust in her movements, transforming her back into the monkey. _Alright, it worked!_ she wanted to say. She raced up to Bolo and leaped onto his shoulders.

Bolo nodded as she climbed onto his mace. He held it upward, letting it extend in Tendrix's direction. The creature held up two of its tentacles, anticipating the collision with the hook. It blocked the hook, but remained unaware that Shantae had leaped onto its head. _Gotta make this fast._ She crawled down Tendrix's body before producing her claws. With numerous swipes, she managed to cut the tentacles blocking its visage into pieces.

Tendrix screeched as it began flailing. Bolo used his grappling hook to latch onto one of the other tendrils, forcing the creature to be pulled down. Shantae lifted her hand up one more time, preparing to finish it off. However, she could see something about its expression had changed. While it was still in pain like the previous times it had been hit, the creature was screeching in a way that Shantae could almost understand. It was as if Tendrix was begging for help, or perhaps something more permanent.

Shantae looked at her claws, noticing the blood that had covered her fingers. _What if this thing is like Risky?_ She wondered. _Maybe it doesn't have a choice..._

"What are you waiting for? It's almost finished!" Bolo shouted.

Shantae looked down at Bolo, remembering that the water was filling the room. Tendrix, having become too weak to even float, crashed into the ground as Shantae leaped off it. She reverted back to normal, although the blood remained on her hands.

"Why'd you stop? It was trying to kill us," Bolo pointed out.

"I felt like it was... speaking to me," Shantae murmured. "Like it wanted help. I think it might be under the control of whatever voice Risky's got in her head."

A red energy bullet launched itself into Tendrix's eye, causing a light to repeatedly flash. It closed its eye one last time as the pain finally ceased. Its body crackled apart into bits of light as an explosion rocked the room, knocking Shantae and Bolo against the wall.

Shantae's vision had become blurry as her back ached. She barely managed to look up seeing the light shining above the column had faded. Her eyes snapped open as she realized who it was. "Risky..."

The female pirate was holding the Dribble Stone in her hand and looked quite satisfied with herself. She looked down and quickly moved her head away upon seeing Shantae.

"You didn't have... to kill him..." Shantae murmured, barely able to stand.

"He was already at death's door," Risky said with a shrug. "The wounds you gave him weren't exactly going to heal overnight. I showed him mercy."

"Mercy?" Shantae asked, her tone becoming more irate. "You shoot it in the face and you call that _mercy?!_ "

"Compared to what you did to it, yes," Risky replied.

"I didn't..."

"...Think about your actions," Risky replied. "Which makes sense given you're still a kid."

"Risky, that thing was under somebody's control," Shantae grunted, picking herself up. "It wasn't evil. It wasn't given a choice."

"Save it," Risky told her. "I'm too busy for your little heroic speech."

"I..."

"What, are you going to tell me there's still good in me?"

_How did she...?_

"Well, this is the real world," Risky stated, approaching Shantae. "There is no such thing as good or evil. There's only the smart, the stupid, and the dead. Often, the latter two are crossed together. Tell me, which category or categories do you fall under?"

"Risky, please... just give me the stone," Shantae pleaded. "That thing will release a monster..."

"I don't care," Risky snapped.

"Why? Why are you... like this?" Shantae demanded.

"Try living with this voice in your head for as long as I have," Risky growled. " _Then_ you'll know why I'm like this." She slammed her knee into Shantae's stomach, knocking the air out of her. She then grinded her knuckles against the half-Genie's cheek. Finally, she wrapped her hands around Shantae's wrist and threw her against the ground.

"You don't know a thing about me, runt. And you shouldn't act like you do," Risky growled before noticing Bolo laying on the ground. "You should probably help your friend. This place is going to come down soon anyway." She placed the Dribble Stone into her pocket and began running away.

"Risky!" Shantae shouted, but it was too late. The pirate had left and rubble was dropping from the ceiling. She gritted her teeth as she resisted the urge to pull her hair out. She rubbed her aching arms as she tried to remain standing. There were no potions left and Bolo could barely move. She had to act fast. She began dancing, hoping she could transform into the monkey again. _I hope that thing is strong enough to carry him._

She mimicked her prior movements from the previous dance, but began to lose her balance halfway through. She managed to quickly regain her footing and made one last thrust with her hand being held upward. Her body did not shrink, however. Instead, the bones inside her arms began to stretch out as her fingers sunk into each hand. Blue fur now covered her body as her ponytail now transformed into a sharper and wispy hairstyle that also made her hair sky blue. Her toes fused together and turned black, becoming claws while her legs were turning purple. Her jewelry on his wrists had moved down to her ankles in this form as they no longer fit there anymore. Her tiara remained in place much like it did with the previous transformation.

 _What the?_ Shantae wondered, looking at her feathered hands. _I'm a bird?_ She looked down and noticed her bra and turned dark blue. _At least I'm still covered,_ she thought with a sense of relief. _Wait... why does the bird form have this, but the monkey form doesn't? Maybe I screwed up the dance or something..._ She noticed chunks of rocks had landed inches away from her feet, nearly giving her a heart attack. _I should really get going._ She began flapping her wings, slowly hovering in the air. Her body wobbled as she struggled to stay afloat. _Woah,_ she murmured.

 _How do you work these things?_ She took a deep breath and focused on flapping at the same time, finding a rhythm not unlike her dances. Using her talons, she grabbed onto Bolo's shoulders and began soaring outward. Pieces of the ceiling falling downward forced her to zigzag in numerous directions. _OW!_ she shouted after making it into another room, falling out of the air. She looked behind her and noticed one of the Bone Worms had chomped down on her wings, taking some feathers along with it. _Stupid worm!_ Shantae wanted to shout.

Her left wing ached as blood began to seep outward. _I need to get out of here now._ She picked Bolo up once more as she tried to not scream from the pain of moving the wing. Instead, she kept flapping her wings as she bit her lip. She managed to soar out of the building before it collapsed in on itself. She crashed into the grass in front of what used to be Dribble Fountain. A purple light enveloped her body as she let go of Bolo. Her fingers reappeared once more as she shed the many feathers that covered her body. The feathers, much like the monkey fur, dissipated into nothingness as the rest of her body returned to normal. Her claws were normal feet once more and her arms had their normal bone structure. Her clothing and jewelry returned to normal, as well.

"You okay, Bolo?" Shantae asked weakly, holding onto her bleeding arm. _Really wish that pain as a bird didn't transfer over,_ she thought angrily.

"Oh, my head," he murmured. "It's all a blur. What happened?" he asked.

"That monster tried to drown you," Shantae stated. "Then Risky got the stone. She's just been playing us," she said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" Bolo asked, picking himself up. He noticed Shantae's bleeding arm and winced.

"She waited for us to defeat the creature for her so she could swipe the stone," Shantae stated. "We're not going to let that happen again," she asserted, her voice taking on a more aggressive tone. "Bolo, where's the next stone?"

"I think Sky knows where it is," Bolo stated, rubbing his chin as he tried to remember what Mimic had told him. "Mimic each put us in charge of knowing where a stone is."

"But... that only makes three of you," Shantae panted, struggling to breath. The blood continued to drip down her arm, further worrying Bolo. "If you, Sky, and Mimic each know where a stone is, who's the fourth? There are four stones, right?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point right now. We need to get you healed up before something worse happens," Bolo stated sternly.

Shantae looked at her wound and groaned. "You're right," she conceded with a sigh. "Let's get back to Water Town and heal up. Then I'll fly us to the next place we need to go."

"Wait... you have a plane?" Bolo asked, dumbfounded.

"No, I can turn into a bird," Shantae said, resisting the urge to facepalm herself.

"So, you can lay eggs?" Bolo surmised. "Do the eggs have mini-Shantaes inside them? Can you make an army of clones?" Sweat dripped from his brow as he pondered the ramifications of these concepts. "What if the clones cause an uprising and take over the planet? What if they call it Planet of the Shantaes? Shantae, whatever you do, do not lay an egg!" he demanded, grabbing onto her shoulders as his heart raced.

"I... what?" Shantae asked, astonished by Bolo's logic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the first dungeon is complete. Where will our heroes end up next? You'll find out soon enough.


	6. Chapter 6

Risky stood upon her ship, smiling while listening to the calm waters of the ocean brush against the hull. She noticed several of her Tinkerbats standing behind her, all of them bowing to her. She turned around and sighed. “You know, you don’t have to be so formal,” she told her men.

 _They realize that their leader will soon return,_ Jack told her, making her left eye twitch.

 _I’m their leader,_ Risky barked at him.

_Have they ever bowed to you as they do for me?_

Risky looked at the Tinkerbats, realizing that they were not even looking at her. Moreso, they were looking at the skull she wore. Risky looked into their eyes, hoping to find the slightest bit of respect they had for her. Instead, her irate expression simply sent a chill down their bony spines. All she could see was fear, making her even angrier. Risky clenched her fists as she growled, scaring the Tinkerbats off in a hurry.

 _Thought so,_ Jack retorted. _Like I’ve told you before. Respect is earned. Anyway, I need you to slow down the ship._

 _Why?_ Risky demanded, becoming more and more vexed.

_I need to stay in range so that I can keep speaking with Harmony._

_Her again?_ Risky said with a snort. _Obsessed much, old man? If you hate those Genies so much, why haven’t you killed her and taken her powers already?_

 _There is more to it than you know,_ Jack replied.

 _What, you got a heart now?_ Risky snarked.

 _I have always had one,_ Jack replied.

 _Could have fooled me,_ Risky replied. _I figure you lost it_ long _before what happened to you._

 _Heh,_ Jack chuckled. _Funny._

 _And I thought you wanted to free yourself,_ Risky pointed out. _If I just get you those stones sooner, you can spend as much time as you want with Harmony..._ she replied, sarcastically waving her hands in the air when thinking of the half-Genie’s name.

_I’ve told you this before. I’m in no rush. And I need to spend more time with Harmony before I am free._

_Why are you so obsessed with keeping her around? What has she ever done for you?_

_Ah. Is this a bit of jealousy I’m sensing?_

_Don’t ignore the question,_ Risky demanded. _Why is she so important to you?_

 _She has a connection to someone I once knew,_ Jack explained. _It is... hard to explain. Let’s just say that not_ every _Genie I came across was a control freak. Some had a heart, and so do their children. Harmony trusts me and I would like to keep it that way._

 _She trusts you because she doesn’t know you. Not like I do. You’re just lying to her like you did to me. Once she knows who you are, she’ll run away and join that purple-haired runt..._ Her eyesight became watery as she felt herself floating. _Where... am... I?_ she wondered. She looked around her, seeing various fish pass by her. Her hat had floated off her head as the bones she was wearing peeled themselves off from her chest and waist. The bones formed the shape of a skull and teeth.

 _You don’t know what you’re talking about,_ Jack spoke through the skeleton, his voice seething with rage. _I have never lied to her and I never will._

Risky attempted to speak, but couldn’t. Even her thoughts were overwhelmed by the pressure the water was putting onto her lungs. Her breath was running out as she looked upward, hoping to find the water’s surface. She swam upward, the last bits of her breath on the brink of escaping. Her fingertips touched the water, ready to make her escape when suddenly she felt wrap around her leg. She looked down to see a black, murky tentacle cutting off the blood circulation to her ankle. She tried kicking the tentacle away, but a new appendage shot up of nowhere, trapping her other leg in place. Before she could use her arms, two more tentacles coiled around her stomach, constricting her arms as she began sinking. She could not scream for water began filling up her lungs. The appendages began dragging her down, sealing her off from her one chance at living. The world around her grew darker as the water became a murky black.

_After all these years, you still know nothing about me, Risky. And if you keep up this sad act, this fate will become a reality._

Risky’s eyes opened, finding that her vision had tilted horizontally. She blinked in surprise, finding that she had curled into a fetal position. Only one aspect of the nightmare had transferred over to real life: the wetness in her eyes.

Harmony stood in front of the wooden house within Spider Forest. It was not that far from Emma’s home, making Harmony a bit more optimistic she would see the chef girl again. _Is this the place you wanted to talk?_ Harmony asked.

 _Yes,_ Jack stated. _I've unlocked the door for you._

Harmony twisted the knob, opening the door. The cottage itself was not that big, having a small kitchen and dinner table compacted together. She walked through the kitchen, finding herself in the living room. She noticed a broken television to her right and couch that was barely held together on her left. She kept moving forward, walking towards the door only a few feet away from her. She held the knob and noticed her hand was trembling slightly. _I’ve been here before, haven’t I?_ she asked.

 _When you were young,_ Jack admitted. _Serena viewed this place as one of her homes away from home._

Harmony nodded as she opened the door. Inside this room was an old bed on her left, with faded red sheets that had dust on them. She rubbed the sheets, wiping away some of the dust. She noticed a crib off to the right of the bed. The wooden bars that held it together had faded in color. She walked over and noticed a small red sheet covered the crib’s interior. Lying on top of the sheet was a small, plastic hammer. She picked it up and smiled as she wrapped her fingers around the handle.

 _A gift from Aaron,_ Jack explained. _He wanted you to grow up to become a warrior like he was._

Harmony smiled as she held the toy close to her. Although faint, the sense of familiarity the hammer gave her was astonishing. _This would be a nice place to live,_ Harmony murmured inside her thoughts. Something in the corner of her eye made her wince: spider webs decorating the walls. _After some sprucing up._ She put the toy back into the crib and let out a yawn. _Some sleep would be nice._

 _Before that, there is something I want to show you,_ Jack informed her, making her eyes perk up. _Look to your right._

She craned her neck in the specified direction, stopping when she saw a picture frame hung to the wall with a nail and string. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw who was in the photo. She slowly stepped closer, her hand wobbling as her fingers rubbed against the photograph. Her vision began to blur as a sheet of water clouded her eyes.

There were three people in the photograph. A man wearing a white top-collar shirt and brown pants appeared to the side of the bed in the photo. _Your father was unusually formal for once,_ Jack explained. _Your mother convinced him to change his look for a day._ A woman with long red hair and a blue gown was resting under the sheets of the bed. In her arms was that of an infant just born. Her face was that of a pout, contrasting with her mother’s, who had an exhausted smile.

 _That’s me, isn’t it?_ Harmony asked.

 _It’s from the day you were born,_ Jack replied, making Harmony smile. _I’m the one who took the photo._

 _I just have one question,_ Harmony replied as she wiped any remaining tears she had from her eyes. _How did my parents meet?_

 _That is a fascinating tale,_ Jack spoke with a laugh. _I only have an account from your mother, so I am relying on her words here._

Harmony smirked. _You remember her telling you all of this?_

_I do. There are some things I can never forget. Serena is one of them. From what she had told me, she and your father had met one day when she was visiting the human realm. While Serena was in a good mood around me, the same could not be said for one of the other Genies._

_Why, did she hate this person?_ Harmony asked, having difficulty imagining her mother ever getting angry.

_No, but she did get on Serena’s nerves. Serena was the oldest of her generation and as such had a responsibility for making sure she kept the others in line. This one Genie was somewhat of an imbecile._

_She couldn’t have been that bad._

_If there’s one thing to be thankful for of this one, she is the reason your parents met,_ Jack conceded.

Harmony’s eyes widened excitedly. _Tell me._

_As you wish._

A woman with red hair wrapped in a ponytail walked down the hallways of a pyramid. Her lips were curled into a perpetual smile as she looked around her. While the exterior was held together by dark blue bricks, the interior was coated in gold columns. The hallway the woman inhabited had its walls decked in various mirrors. Each mirror acted like a security camera for other dimensions. The mirrors were made of a glass that could only be penetrated through a strong force of magic and they stuck to the walls through a magical adhesive.

The woman wore a short, white tank top that exposed her midriff. She had white pants with cut-outs that exposed her hips as well as a purple underside. Her purple mojari shoes created echoes with every step she took. She wore her long red hair in a ponytail that still managed to reach down to her knees. Finally, like every Genie, she possessed pointed ears.

She looked across both walls, taking her daily report of what was going on. At least once every five minutes, a Genie had to report about any dangerous activity they spotted in the mirrors. She had a small clipboard in her left arm and a pen in her right. She did not see any particular activity in one mirror, so she moved onto the next one. She repeated this cycle until she was nearly at the end of the hallway. She came across a blue spec on one of the mirrors. Although it was faint, it was a presence she still recognized. She walked over to the mirror and twisted one of the dials clockwise, zooming in on an energy signature. “Not again...” she murmured, recognizing the other person as her smile began to fade.

In the mirror was a woman of similar age, although this one had a remarkable tan and wore a blue dress and matching mojari shoes. Blue ribbons adorned her elbows as she wore a golden tiara with a sapphire that acted as a centerpiece. Her long purple hair was also in a ponytail and reached down to her knees. She was standing next to dozens of humans, blending in with the crowd as she watched a glorious battle from within a coliseum. To the side of her was a small portal, invisible to the naked eye, but not to the Genie’s eye. Unfortunately, invisible did not mean intangible. Anyone could enter the portal, even if they did not see it.

“Wait a minute,” the redhead realized, latching her fingers onto the mirror. She pulled the mirror down and sighed. A portal of identical size was glued to the wall. “Why does she do this?” she wondered aloud. She placed one foot into the portal as she stuck the mirror behind her back onto the wall. She then placed the rest of her body through the rest of the portal, taking her to the planet known as Earth.

She appeared behind a crowd that had been cheering as gladiators clashed in the arena. She hovered her hand in the air, her gesture making the portal behind her close. She was fortunate nobody could see her appear out of nowhere, as everyone was busy spectating the battle. She considered herself even more fortunate nobody had fallen through the portal by mistake. She tapped on the purple-haired woman’s shoulder, making the latter turn around.

This woman began chuckling nervously as she saw a tired look in the redhead’s eyes. “Hey Serena...”

“Ana, you can’t just leave portals open like that,” Serena informed her.

“Whoops...” Ana murmured, tapping her fingers together nervously. “Sorry, I forgot.”

“Do you have a reason to be here?” Serena asked. “You know the Genies require an actual reason to visit these places. You can’t just be here whenever you want. Keeping those portals open might let something into our realm. Or damage the reality in this one.”

“I have a reason,” Ana insisted. “I was checking to make sure nothing gets too chaotic.”

“You say that while watching people try to kill one another in front of an audience,” Serena pointed out.

“Well, I’m making sure they _don’t_ kill each other,” Ana said with a nervous chuckle.

Serena took a quick glance at the various gladiators battling it out in a free-for-all, noticing various warriors stained in blood and appearing to be unconscious. “Hmm...” she murmured. She noticed a young woman riding on top of a monstrous worm. The woman, looking to be early twenties, had bright orange hair that was kept in pigtails as well as pointed ears. She wore a green tank top and matching separated sleeves that were graced by yellow cuffs. Her white shorts also had yellow cuffs while her shoes were white heels with green stripes.

The worm resembled a centipede, having dozens of razor-sharp feet. The creature had coarse purple skin that was difficult to pierce with regular weaponry. It possessed a single yellow eyeball that rested within the center of its skull. Thousands of teeth rotated around its lips like a drill as it chased around the remaining competitors. “How is that allowed?” Serena asked, baffled by the worm.

“I think they said anything goes,” Ana said with a shrug before returning her attention to the warriors.

“Why are you even here?” Serena asked before noticing that the latter was blushing when looking at a certain warrior. He was an extremely muscular man with a bushy mustache and a shining bald head. He wore bright red harem pants with a golden sash and matching wristbands as well as brown mojari shoes. He did not wear a shirt, allowing his muscular physique to be placed on full display.

“You’re not so tough!” the man said with a thick, Russian accent. He dodged the worm swinging its tail before he had gotten his legs taken off. “Everyone has a limit, even giant worms!” he shouted.

Serena blinked in disbelief as she turned back to Ana. Ana noticed Serena’s glare. “What?” she asked, hoping the latter didn’t notice her blushing.

“Are you here just because of him?” Serena asked as calmly as she could, although she was still annoyed about the situation.

Ana chuckled nervously, tapping her fingers together. “I like to make sure he’s doing okay,” she admitted.

Serena sighed, hoping to hide her annoyance. She noticed that the worm was charging forward, its teeth spinning like a razor blade as it was on the verge of eating one of the warriors. She leaped down to the arena floor. While she was falling, an energy radiated throughout her body. Her arms danced to the energy bouncing around as her legs soon followed. Placing all of this energy into a burst set off with a single touch, she slammed her feet into the ground, sending a seismic shockwave around the arena. The ground shook the warriors as well as the worm. The worm fell over, landing on its back while the woman who rode the creature angrily leapt off. The coliseum itself shook as its conscious warriors and audience became dizzy. 

Serena sighed as she caught her breath. She had never felt exhausted before when using her magic. Her powers also felt weaker than they normally were, making her question the side effects of being on Earth. She figured that her magic capacity had been cut in half thanks to her new environment, meaning she had only one more attempt to use the Quake Dance again. She heard a person coughing, making her turn her attention to whoever was behind her. She saw a warrior blue, shining armor lying on the ground.

“Are you okay?” she asked, holding out her hand. The man was rubbing his head when he noticed her hand in front of his face. The man had tan skin as well as scruffy black hair and untrimmed facial hair. Given the dents and scrapes on his armor, it was obvious that the helmet he once wore had been knocked off. “Thanks,” he said, picking himself up.

“Why did they allow that thing in here?” Serena wondered aloud, looking back at the worm.

“The rulemakers said our only objective is to win,” the man stated as he patted dust off his armor.

Serena sighed. “What even is the prize?” she asked. She had trouble believing any prize was worth giving up their life for.

“Your name engraved in the coliseum’s halls and a lifetime supply of gems,” the man stated.

“That’s it?” Serena asked, blinking in disbelief. “No amount of fame or money should be worth giving up your life for.”

“Maybe not your life, but I’ve got a mom I need to feed,” the man stated. “If I don’t win this, then...” His fists clenched as the thought of failure entered his brain. “...well, I’m just going to win.”

“Mom?” Serena asked, such a concept being lost on her.

“Wilbur!” a voice screamed, catching both of their attention. The orange-haired woman was horrified to watch her pet suffering, struggling to get up. “Get up, Wilbur! Please!” she pleaded, hoping her pet could still fight. She gritted her teeth as her eyes locked with Serena’s. “That was my pet, you freak!” she shouted. She noticed Serena’s clothing, recognizing the intricate designs in the material as well as the pointed ears the latter had. “You’re one of those nutjob Genies, aren’t you?” she snapped loudly.

“It’s one of those mythical Genies, folks!” an announcer shouted upon hearing the woman’s outburst. The announcer’s statement was heard over a blaring megaphone on the sidelines that made the crowd begin cheering as they realized a once in a lifetime experience was in their midst. Rarely did a Genie show up on Earth, making the occasion even more special given that she was now a warrior in the coliseum.

This shift in attention only made the orange-haired woman angrier as the crowd focused adoration onto Serena. “You Genies are nothing but attention hogs!” she yelled, confusing Serena. She had never seen someone so averse towards Genies. Most people, from the records she had read of, seemed to love Genies and their mystical presence.

Wilbur, as the worm was called, began to pick himself up. “Wilbur! You’re okay!” the woman exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the gigantic worm. “Let’s teach that freak a lesson!” she demanded. The worm smiled as he lowered his head, allowing the woman to leap onto her pet. “Charge!” she exclaimed. “When she does that magic stuff again, jump!” she commanded.

“Great...” Serena murmured, watching Wilbur coming closer and closer. “We need a plan,” she stated.

“Aren’t you a Genie?” he asked, recalling what the announcer had said. “Shouldn’t that worm be no problem?”

“My magic is weakened in this dimension,” Serena stated. “I think I’ve only got one more chance to finish him.”

“Maybe we can trap him,” the armored warrior suggested. He turned to the bald warrior nearby, the one Ana had been fawning over. “Karnov, can you trap that thing?”

“I’ve tried, but that worm will just jump over my attacks,” Karnov stated. He took notice of Serena’s presence. “Ah. A Genie is here. Truly a legendary battle will happen if you are here,” he declared. “Do not disappoint me,” he said with an eager smile.

“Yeah, about that...” Serena said awkwardly. “I’m kind of running at half strength right now.”

Karnov blinked, unable to comprehend what he had just heard. “What?” he asked.

“Yeah. My magic works differently on Earth,” Serena admitted. “We need to think carefully...”

“Need a hand?” Ana shouted from the stands.

Karnov turned his neck to see Ana, his neck rotating one hundred and eighty degrees. “Ha ha!” he laughed. “Another Genie joins us!”

“You know it!” Ana shouted, sending him a wink.

Serena’s eyes shot open seeing this, astonished by the flexibility Karnov possessed in his neck. “What... is he?” she murmured.

Ana leapt down, performing a similar dance in the air to the one Serena did. This dance had her focus her energy in her legs, waving them back and forth in the air. She concentrated the energy as her hips danced to the rhythm started by her legs. She moved the energy back to her legs once more and held her arm into the arm, releasing the energy from her body. A purple light consumed her body, creating a blinding aura that forced the woman riding Wilbur to fall off her pet.

“I can’t see!” the woman screamed, rubbing her eyes. Unlike the other warriors, she was unable to shield her eyes in time. The light eventually cleared, revealing an entirely new creature. No longer was the Genie’s human-like appearance present. Instead, what stood in place was a blue-furred wolf. This creature stood on all fours and possessed icicle spikes on its back. The creature had a black snout and blue eyes, albeit connected to black sclera. Its claws were made of icicles as well. A golden tiara with a sapphire as a centerpiece appeared on the wolf’s head. It growled as it kicked his hind legs back, preparing a charge.

“Wait,” Serena commanded, making the wolf bark in annoyance. “We need a plan to beat that worm.” She rubbed her chin quickly as she thought of a solution. “Karnov, you can breathe fire, right?”

Karnov nodded. “Nobody breathes it better than I do,” he stated confidently.

“And Ana’s wolf form can lay icicles in the ground,” Serena stated, saying it more as a reminder to herself than anything.

“I’ve got a hammer that can help us out,” the armored warrior offered, pulling out a tiny silver hammer.

“Uh...” Serena murmured, unsure whether or not the warrior was joking. “I don’t that’s big enough, uh...”

“Aaron,” the warrior stated. “And trust me, it gets bigger.” He wrapped his fingers around the handle, watching as the hammer grew to be a size larger than his head.

“How... do you hold that?” Serena asked, pointing to the massive hammer. Unless Aaron had undergone massive training, the hammer should have made him fall over from the weight alone.

Aaron shrugged. “I just do,” he replied. “You wanted a plan, right? We can use this to send you flying and stomp that worm like you did the ground earlier.”

“That’s pretty smart,” Serena murmured, almost jealous of Aaron’s plan. She turned to Karnov and Ana. “Karnov, use that fire of yours to guide it this way. Ana, use your icicles to slow it down.” The duo nodded simultaneously.

“Is the hammer going to fall over if I stand on it?” Serena asked.

“Not if I’m being nice,” Aaron joked.

“Hilarious,” Serena said a small chuckle.

Wilbur was rubbing its head against the woman, hoping that his owner was alright.

“I’m fine,” she told him with a smile. “Thanks, Wilbur.” The creature nodded as she leaped back on top of his head. “Charge!” she exclaimed, pointing in Serena’s direction.

“On the count of three,” Serena told Aaron as she leaped onto the face of his hammer. “One...” She began waving her arms, letting the energy bounce back and forth between her hips. Karnov and Ana charged towards Wilbur with the former breathing a ring of fire around the worm’s path while Ana ran to the right of the worm. “Two...”

The woman on top merely laughed at Karnov. “That ain’t going work, hothead,” she taunted. Wilbur pulled himself back and leaped over the fire ring. As soon as he landed, he cried out in pain, startling the woman on top. “Wilbur! What's wrong?” she asked her pet, looking over his head. Then, she noticed the source of his pain: icicles lodged in his skin. Even with the rough exterior that Wilbur possessed, the icicles still harmed the giant. The woman gritted her teeth as she roared.

“Three!” Serena shouted as Aaron flung her towards Wilbur. The woman’s eyes widened in terror as sweat dripped down her cheeks. Putting the energy she had concentrated into her right fist, a red aura began to form around Serena. The aura that leaked out of her body floated up to her fist and wrapped itself around her knuckles.

“Please don’t...” the woman pleaded.

Serena grinded her knuckles into Wilbur’s chest, making the monster scream as his body trembled. The sensation was akin to having an earthquake occur inside his own body. The worm collapsed once more, forcing the woman to leap off her pet. “Wilbur!” she screamed, watching her pet’s eye twitch before shutting. “No no no no,” she murmured, shaking Wilbur. She held onto the slim hope that her pet would wake up.

Serena walked up to her, trying her best not to look exhausted from the power drain she had just suffered. “It’s over,” she told the woman.

“You killed my pet!” the woman shouted.

“No!” Serena shouted, horrified by such a suggestion. “I held back. He’s only unconscious.”

The woman looked back at her pet, holding her ear to the creature’s heart. She could still hear it beating, prompting a brief sigh of relief. Serena turned around and began walking back to her allies.

A bright light consumed the coliseum once more, restoring Ana to her true form. The fur on her skin shedded as her skin returned to its normal tanned self. Her claws shrank to the size of normal fingers. Light particles aligned together, recreating her dress and shoes. Her hair sprouted from her head, putting her ponytail back in place. “That’s better,” she commented with an exhausted chuckle.

“Wait, where are you going?” the woman asked in Serena’s direction.

“It’s over,” Serena stated, turning back around. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”

“Don’t you know the rules?” the woman snapped. “It doesn’t end until one of us dies.”

Serena looked back at Ana, who gave an awkward shrug as she tried to look away. Serena returned her gaze to the woman. “I don’t kill my opponents,” she stated, almost saying that more to herself than the woman.

“No, just severely maim them,” the woman observed bitterly. “You Genies think you can just walk all over us, don’t you?” she snapped.

“Hey, what’s wrong with Genies?” Ana asked, looking towards the woman. “Why do you hate us so much?”

The woman laughed. “Why shouldn’t I hate you?” she replied. “Everyone treats you like gods! People will do anything for you because you put on a nice show for them and act like nothing can hurt you.” She smiled as she noticed a blue liquid oozing from Serena’s knuckles. “But you can bleed, just like the rest of us.” Serena looked down at her hand, startled by the blood leaking from the wound. She had never imagined this dimension could make her so weak. “You freaks aren’t that great,” the woman continued. “One day, everyone will see you all for the glory hogs you are. People like me will finally be remembered and the Genies will be nothing but a reminder not to put freaks onto pedestals!”

“I don’t even know who you are,” Serena murmured, perplexed by this woman’s rant.

“I’m Holly Lingerbean,” the woman stated. She pulled her left hand back, curling her fingers into a fist. “And you _will_ remember my name!” she shouted, rocketing a punch towards Serena’s face.

Serena shut her eyes as she used the remaining power she had in her fist to push Holly back with an open palm. The push sent Holly crashing into a wall on Serena’s left. Bricks landed on top of her body as she struggled to move. She slowly picked herself up. Her body was quivering as blood dripped down her face. “Is that... all you... got?” she said, taking a step forward. She tried to take one more, but collapsed onto her knees before landing on the ground.

“Poor Hope,” Ana stated, forgetting the woman’s name already. “I feel like she wouldn’t hate us so much if she got to know us.”

“Maybe...” Serena agreed, looking back at her bloody hand. The shoes she wore had a magical seal that cushioned any impacts from her earthquakes, whereas her hands had no protection whatsoever. Even still, she couldn’t believe that she was bleeding. If a warrior as weak as the worm made her bleed, she didn’t want to imagine what would happen should he have faced a stronger opponent.

“Good work, everyone,” Karnov said to the team.

“You know, there’s still that rule in place that says we have to fight to the death,” Aaron pointed out.

“Maybe I can get them to change it,” Serena suggested. “Hey!” she shouted to the announcer with a megaphone. “Do you mind changing it so people just have to concede or get knocked out to lose? I really don’t want people dying here. And maybe just give the rewards to these two guys!” she said, pointing to Karnov and Aaron.

“What?” Karnov asked in disbelief. “But the fight isn’t over. There hasn’t been a victor.”

“Yeah. I wanted to earn this victory,” Aaron stated. “I don’t want to have it handed to me.”

“Ok,” Serena groaned. “On second thought, just have these two fight until there’s a winner!”

“Sure!” the announcer shouted. “Anything for you nice Genies! No more killing!” The crowd began cheering for the Genies, although Serena doubted their sincerity.

Ana chuckled as she held her arms behind her back. “It feels good to be loved.”

“Yeah...” Serena murmured, thinking back to what Holly had been saying. The woman had said that people would do anything for the Genies, and here was the announcer bending over backwards to please them. She couldn’t imagine even half of these people showing up to these events if the offer to view a death match was no longer on the table. “Wait,” she realized, looking at Karnov and Aaron. “You guys went in expecting to kill each other.”

They both nodded. “Yeah,” they said simultaneously.

“Aren’t you two friends?” Serena asked, completely baffled by how willingly they were to fight each other to the death.

“Yeah,” they said again.

“And you’re both willing to kill each other to win?”

The duo looked at each other before giving their answer. “Yeah.”

“I am _so_ confused,” Serena murmured.

“In a fight to the death, you need to win,” Karnov replied. “Aaron and I don’t take it personally if we’re trying to kill each other.”

“Yeah, we fight each other all the time,” Aaron agreed. “If one of us dies, we’ll give the other guy a nice funeral.”

Serena rubbed her temples as she began to comprehend what she was hearing.

Ana tiptoed next to Karnov. “ _Soooo..._ ” she began. “You doing anything this weekend?”

“Yes. Training,” Karnov answered proudly.

“Mind if I join you?” Ana asked, sending him another wink.

“If you can bring a challenge, then you can join us!” Karnov exclaimed.

“Us?” Serena questioned.

“Karnov and I train every weekend together,” Aaron explained. “Just a typical sparring match.”

“Okay...” Serena murmured. She looked to see Ana was still fawning over Karnov’s muscular physique, making Serena groan. She was certain that more than five minutes had passed during this time period, meaning that her report was incomplete and that the person’s next report, Ana’s, was also incomplete. “Ana, we need to get going.”

“What?” Ana asked.

“We have a job to do,” Serena pointed out. “You made me miss mine. And you probably missed yours too.”

“Sorry,” Ana apologized. “I can do your report tomorrow to make up for it!”

“You’d better,” Serena said with a smile, opening a portal behind her.

“Later Karnov,” Ana said, blowing a kiss in his direction. She leaped into the portal, disappearing into the Genie Realm.

“Where did she go?” Karnov asked.

“Oh right,” Serena realized. Only Genies could see the portal, so to somebody like Karnov, Ana had jumped into nothing and disappeared. “It’s just a portal only Genies can see,” she explained.

“You Genies are a strange bunch,” Karnov observed.

“That makes two of us,” Serena replied. “I’ll let you two get back to your match. And please don’t die in case Ana comes back which... she probably will.”

“There’s no getting rid of that Genie,” Karnov observed with a laugh. “I see her all the time, blowing kisses at me like we’re married or something. I didn’t know she was a Genie until today.”

“Guess you got your own cheerleader, buddy,” Aaron joked, elbowing him with a laugh. He turned to Serena. “What about you? Are you ever coming back?”

“Probably to keep Ana in check,” Serena replied.

“We wouldn’t mind if you came back,” Aaron stated. “We could always use another fighter to spar with.”

“I don’t like fighting honestly,” she admitted. “I only train because I need to. It’s not a game for me.”

Aaron tapped his chin as he considered his words. “You said your magic is weaker here, right?”

Serena nodded. “Yes.”

“Maybe you could train with us sometime so it won’t be as weak the next time you have to fight here,” Aaron suggested.

“I suppose I could,” Serena said with a small chuckle as she began entering the portal.

“You know, I never did learn your name,” Aaron pointed out.

The Genie looked back at Aaron, her lips slowly curling into a smile. “Serena.”

Harmony was giggling as Jack concluded the story. _He already had a thing for Mom, didn’t he?_ she asked.

 _I cannot say one way or the other,_ Jack replied.

 _So Ana is Shantae’s mother, right?_ Harmony assumed.

_If you mean the purple-haired half-Genie you saw earlier, then yes._

_That makes sense. Shantae seems kind of like her mother,_ Harmony observed. _They’re both a bit silly, but care about their friends._

 _Yes, Ana was an interesting... one to say the least,_ Jack agreed. _Her powers are different from your mother’s. Some of the transformations Ana used did not drain any of her magic, whereas others did._

 _So can all Genies pass down their abilities to their children?_ Harmony assumed. _I got that Quake Dance from Mom._

 _Hard to say,_ Jack admitted. _You were the first one to have actual parents. Prior to you, Genies had not conceived of the concept of being mothers. Genies are typically born in the Magical Pyramid in the center of the Genie Realm. They are created by the magic that flows through the Genie Realm. Genies are born as adults and do not have childhoods like humans do._

 _So Mom missed out on her childhood like I did, huh?_ Harmony observed with a hint of sorrow infiltrating her thoughts. She looked down to see the dilapidated wooden floor that occupied the room, wanting to think about anything else besides the current topic.

 _I suppose you two have something in common,_ Jack replied, his tone becoming similar to Harmony’s. _Even if she’s gone, she still lives on in you, Harmony. You’ve inherited her abilities, have you not?_

Harmony picked her head up and nodded. _And my dad’s,_ she pointed out. _His hammer._

 _That hammer is constructed by the magic you use,_ Jack explained. _Magic often takes the shape of whatever is in your head at the moment of the usage._

 _Yeah,_ Harmony agreed. _Hey, who do you think I’m more like? My mom or my dad?_

 _I’m not entirely certain,_ he admitted. _Your father could be very hard headed, such as when he could not accept that victory being given to him._

 _I kind of understand what he was getting at,_ Harmony replied. _If you won without your own efforts, what’s the point of trying at all if it’s just handed to you?_

 _I suppose you’re more like him than I realized,_ Jack observed, making Harmony giggle.

 _Thank you for telling me all of this,_ Harmony stated, closing her eyes. While she couldn’t visualize Jack, she imagined a man of extreme virtue behind the invisible curtain. _Although, I need to know. Why are you so nice to me?_

 _I owe it to your mother,_ Jack replied. _She was the one who freed me from my prison the first time._

 _What kind of prison was it?_ Harmony asked.

 _That is a tale for another day,_ Jack replied.

 _Ok,_ Harmony said. _Who freed you the second time?_

 _That has yet to happen,_ Jack stated. _There are four stones that are connected to my freedom._

_Are those the Elemental Stones Shantae was talking about? She seemed worried that that pirate was going to use them to destroy stuff._

_The pirate won’t use them,_ Jack assured her. _She doesn’t understand how they work. Not like I do._

_And how do you know how they work?_

_They were built as seals to contain me. Magic such as that can only be neutralized through certain methods._

_Why were you even locked up?_ Harmony asked.

_I showed a group of people who they truly were... and they did not respond in kind._

Harmony began to think of her next question, but hesitated to ask. She was certain she already knew the answer. _Who... locked you up?_

 _A group of control freaks,_ Jack explained. _Your mother was part of this group, but she eventually saw through their flaws._ Harmony’s blood ran cold, knowing full well what he was about to say. _The Genies imprisoned me. All because I told them the truth._


End file.
